Copper Assarion Class 22 of Andronikos II, Constantinople c. 1282 - 1328

Curator: This is a Copper Assarion Class 22 of Andronikos II, from Constantinople. Editor: It looks worn, almost like a memory half-forgotten. What stories could this little coin tell? Curator: Coins are fascinating. In one view, they are just a medium of exchange, but they can also convey power, prestige, and imperial iconography. Editor: So the emperor’s image becomes a symbol spread across the empire? Is that an ancestor portrait on one side? Curator: Precisely. Visual symbols of power were essential for maintaining control and projecting authority. The portrait is there as a legitimizing force. Editor: It really makes you think about how images are always politically charged, even in our pockets. Curator: Indeed. Considering its age and history, it's a surprisingly poignant little object.