Coin of Bar Kokhba, Year 1 c. 132 - 133

Editor: Here we have a Coin of Bar Kokhba, Year 1. It’s quite small, 21.57 grams, and worn, but you can still make out the symbols. What strikes you about this coin? Curator: I'm interested in how this coin served as a tool of political messaging and economic control. The very act of minting a new coin challenged Roman authority. What materials were used, and how did that impact its dissemination? Editor: That’s interesting. So it's not just about the imagery, but also about the process of creation and distribution? Curator: Precisely. The labor involved in mining, smelting, and striking these coins speaks volumes about the society that produced them. Whose labor went into making these? Editor: I hadn't considered that angle before. Thinking about the social context really changes how I see it. Curator: It highlights the relationship between materiality, power, and resistance. It changes how we understand art.