Fulus of Sulayman Shah, with Horseman right and Kufic legend c. 12th century

Curator: This copper coin, or "Fulus," minted by Rukn ad-Din Sulayman Shah, immediately evokes a sense of history, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely. It's small, damaged, and corroded—worn smooth with age. It's clearly been handled and circulated extensively. Curator: Indeed. It features a horseman on one side and Kufic script on the other. The horse and rider motif often symbolizes power and authority. Editor: I'm more interested in the metal itself. The wear speaks to the trade routes, the economic systems, and the hands through which this small piece of copper passed. What labor went into extracting it, refining it, and striking it? Curator: And the script acts as a constant cultural reminder of the ruler's presence, a tangible link to a specific time. Editor: For me, the real power is in the material—how such a common substance connected a vast network of people and places. Curator: It’s amazing to consider how an image can carry so much emotional weight across time, even on a coin. Editor: And how its very existence—its materiality—testifies to the interconnectedness of society.