Coin of Manuel I c. 12th century

Editor: Here we have a coin of Manuel I, its weight is 1.4 grams. It has a sort of worn, aged quality, but I’m curious about its purpose. What can you tell me about it? Curator: As a materialist, I'm drawn to the coin's role in facilitating economic transactions and reflecting social structures. We must consider how the production of this coin sustained power. Editor: That’s fascinating! So the materiality speaks to its use as currency? Curator: Precisely. The coin's very existence highlights resource extraction, labor, and trade networks. What does its degradation suggest about its circulation and the lives it touched? Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way, but it adds a new layer of meaning. Thank you.