Follis of Justinian I, Constantinople 538 - 539

Curator: Here we have a Follis of Justinian I, crafted in Constantinople. Its current weight is approximately 20.36 grams. Editor: It's incredible how much history can be held within such a small object. The patinated surface speaks volumes. Curator: Indeed. Notice the iconographic program: the Emperor’s portrait on one side and the prominent 'M' value mark on the other, framed by carefully inscribed text. Editor: But the material itself—copper—suggests a wider narrative. Think of the mines, the labor, the trade routes required to put this coin in someone's hand. It's a whole economic system encapsulated. Curator: Precisely. And the condition, of course, invites us to consider its circulation, its use, and how its meaning may have evolved over centuries. Editor: A tangible connection to a very distant past, wrought from the earth. Curator: It allows us to perceive value in ways extending beyond mere currency. Editor: Making even a coin into a profound object, if we let it.