Coin of Michael III c. 856 - 867

Curator: Here we have a "Coin of Michael III," located at the Harvard Art Museums. The coin weighs approximately 4.45 grams. Editor: The density of that gold leaps out; such a small object carrying monumental weight and meaning. Curator: Indeed. Notice how the die engraver has used line and form to depict both Michael III and what appears to be Christ. The composition’s bilateral symmetry conveys a sense of imperial order. Editor: And this order, this power, literally stamped into the gold—consider the mining, the smelting, the labor invested. This isn't simply currency, it's a potent symbol of control. Curator: A beautiful interplay of power, representation, and intrinsic material value. Editor: Exactly; it makes you wonder how many hands it passed through.