Coin of Justin II c. 570 - 571

Curator: Here we have a Coin of Justin II from the Harvard Art Museums, a small bronze piece weighing just over eight grams. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by its battered state. It looks as though it’s been through centuries of pockets, wars, and buried secrets. Curator: Exactly. It's a tangible link to the Byzantine Empire. The coin features Justin II, who ruled from 565 to 578 AD. The imagery would have carried significant weight. Editor: Absolutely. On one side, there’s the imperial portrait, almost ghostly now, and on the reverse, a large Christogram dominates – the Chi-Rho symbol. It’s a potent expression of power merging with religious authority. Curator: You know, holding this coin, I wonder who held it last and what their life was like. Editor: It's like a whisper from the past. These images were more than currency; they were declarations of faith and imperial might. Curator: Indeed, it's a small object, but it opens up a vast landscape of history and human experience. Editor: Makes you wonder what stories this little coin could tell, if it could only speak.