Coin of Constans II c. 641 - 668

Editor: Here we have a gold coin of Constans II. It’s fascinating to see the wear and tear, feeling the history it embodies as currency, but also as propaganda. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: Consider the gold itself. Where did it originate? Who mined it, and under what conditions? This coin isn’t just a representation of power; it’s a product of a vast network of labor and extraction. Editor: That's a great point. It's easy to forget the real-world cost behind the image of authority. Curator: Exactly. And how does the coin's materiality—its weight, its purity—affect its perceived value and its role in the economic system of the time? That relationship is key. I wonder, how did these material realities shape the everyday lives of those who used it, or were used by it?