Coin of Constantine VII c. 914 - 919

Editor: Here we have a coin of Constantine VII, a copper piece with a good deal of wear. I'm curious, what does the materiality of this coin suggest to you? Curator: Its very existence speaks to production, doesn't it? The mining of copper, the labor of minting, and its intended use in exchange – all indicative of Byzantine economic and social structures. Editor: So the wear and tear aren’t just damage; they're a record of its journey through society? Curator: Exactly. Each scratch narrates a transaction, a transfer of value. How different is this, really, from a contemporary mass-produced object carrying its own kind of story? Editor: That's a great point. It is fascinating how much history can be embedded in a single, humble object. Curator: Indeed, it causes us to reconsider art's place in broader systems of material culture.