Coin of Justin II c. 574 - 575

Curator: This is a bronze coin of Justin II, ruler of the Byzantine Empire in the 6th century. It's a small artifact, worn smooth over time, but still holding echoes of its past. Editor: The patinated surface tells such a story. The wear speaks of human hands, exchange, and an entire economic system reliant on such small objects. Curator: Absolutely. It’s intriguing to consider how this coin circulated within a society grappling with political instability and religious divisions. The imagery itself reflects the emperor's aspirations for legitimacy and divine favor. Editor: What I see is the production, the bronze itself. Where was it mined? What was the labor involved in its making? Coins like this fueled an economy that was built, literally, on extraction. Curator: It's a potent reminder that even the smallest objects carry immense weight when considered through the lens of history and power dynamics. Editor: Indeed. Seeing this now really highlights the connection between material wealth and social structures, even then.