Coin of Nikephoros III c. 1078 - 1081

Curator: This is a coin of Nikephoros III, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It has such an archaic feel. The low relief and compact composition give it a feeling of solemnity. Curator: Absolutely. It's fascinating to consider these coins as instruments of power, mass-produced and circulated widely within the Byzantine Empire. Imagine the labor and the control over resources required. Editor: The visual language, too, speaks of authority. The figures are framed centrally, symmetrical. Curator: Precisely! It's a testament to the power of material culture and its connection to the social order. Editor: It is also a simple token of past times. Curator: I agree; such a potent, layered object. Editor: Indeed, a treasure.