Coin of Manuel I c. 1160 - 1164

Curator: This is a "Coin of Manuel I," currently held at the Harvard Art Museums and weighing just over 4 grams. Editor: Well, first off, it feels surprisingly delicate for something that must have been handled so much. And the imagery is remarkably detailed, considering its size. Curator: Indeed. As a piece of currency, it would have been a marker of economic and political power. The imagery is related to the emperor's divine right to rule. Editor: I see a figure on one side, maybe Christ? The other side, it seems to be figures of royalty— the earthly power mirroring the divine, as you said. Curator: Precisely. Coins like this circulated not just as money, but as miniature billboards of imperial authority. Editor: It's easy to forget how much symbolism these little objects carried. Curator: Absolutely. They are portals to understanding the values of a society. Editor: Suddenly, this little coin doesn't seem so small anymore.