Aspron Trachy Nomisma of Andronikos I, Constantinople 1183 - 1185

Curator: Here we have a fascinating example of an Aspron Trachy Nomisma, a coin minted during the reign of Andronikos I in Constantinople. Editor: It looks like two corroded oyster shells whispering secrets. There's a weird beauty in their decay, a sense of stories almost lost. Curator: Indeed. These coins served not just as currency, but as potent symbols of imperial authority and Byzantine economic power. Think of their role in funding armies and infrastructure. Editor: Power disguised as pocket change. I'm struck by the traces of verdigris, that blue-green blush—it gives a human dimension to something so impersonal as currency. Curator: The debasement of the gold content in coins like these often mirrors periods of political instability, reflecting both economic realities and anxieties. Editor: The past literally stains the present. Seeing this makes me wonder, what will our pocket change whisper in a thousand years? Curator: A potent reminder of the impermanence of even the most powerful regimes, and the enduring allure of numismatic evidence. Editor: An unexpected journey, from cold metal to warm stories. It's the poetry in the mundane, isn't it?