Coin of Alexios III c. 1195 - 1197

Curator: This is a coin of Alexios III, currently held in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It looks like something you might find buried in your backyard; the kind of thing that whispers secrets of forgotten empires! Curator: Absolutely. These coins served not only as currency, but also as powerful symbols of imperial authority. Examining the iconography, we can unpack the complex social and political structures of the Byzantine Empire. Editor: It also looks incredibly tactile. I want to feel the weight of it, imagine the hands it passed through, what transactions it facilitated. It's like holding a piece of history in your palm, you know? Curator: Exactly! And how these objects circulated reveals trade networks, political alliances, even the everyday lives of people long gone. Editor: It makes you wonder about the stories it could tell, if it could talk. Curator: Indeed; and through historical analysis, we can give it a voice, one that speaks to power, belief, and exchange. Editor: Yeah, it’s a little portal to another time, isn’t it? Curator: Precisely, revealing intricate systems of meaning and influence. Editor: I love that; I'm definitely seeing it with fresh eyes now.