Coin of Constans II c. 654 - 659

Curator: The "Coin of Constans II" from the Harvard Art Museums. It's quite small, a Byzantine gold coin, testifying to the empire's wealth and power. What strikes you most about this tiny material witness? Editor: It's strangely intimate, isn't it? The wear, the imperfections... it feels like holding history, not just seeing it. I imagine the craftsman, carefully etching the ruler's image. Curator: Precisely! This coin represents a fascinating intersection of art, politics, and economics. Think about the gold itself - where did it come from? Who mined it? The coin served as currency, but also propaganda, circulating the emperor's image and authority. Editor: And it probably bought someone a loaf of bread or a tunic. I love thinking about the mundane lives touched by something we now see as a museum object. I like this work. Curator: Indeed, it underscores how even seemingly insignificant objects can hold profound stories of labor, power, and everyday existence. Editor: Yes, it's a reminder that art, even in the form of a coin, is always entangled with life.