Coin of Constans II c. 666 - 668

Curator: Here we have a coin of Constans II, held in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's incredible how something so small can feel so weighty. I’m immediately drawn to the weathered texture and the muted palette; it speaks of history etched into the very material. Curator: Absolutely. The imagery—Constans II on one side, likely a royal symbol on the other—speaks to the emperor’s power and the visual language of the Byzantine Empire. Coins were potent symbols of authority. Editor: The images look almost crude, and primitive, yet the lines are so sharp and clear. I wonder about the original intention, or the process of its creation. Curator: Coins served as propaganda, reinforcing the emperor's image and legitimacy. Each detail was carefully chosen for its symbolic resonance. Editor: To think of what these two sides might have witnessed. From commerce, to wars, to burials, and migrations. Curator: The past is captured in miniature right here. Editor: A portal.