Coin of Constantine VII c. 945 - 959

Curator: Look at this Coin of Constantine VII, housed right here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: My first impression is solemnity, something austere and timeless. The material looks worn, but the symbols feel enduring. Curator: Indeed. Consider its function: not just currency, but a statement of imperial power and faith, meticulously stamped into the metal. The labor and societal structure embedded in its creation are fascinating. Editor: The cross, elevated on what looks like a stepped base, speaks volumes about the Byzantine Empire's spiritual priorities. It embodies centuries of theological and political meaning, doesn't it? Curator: Absolutely. The coin itself is a testament to the economic and material conditions that allowed for such potent symbolic communication. Editor: It's amazing how one object can contain so much of a culture’s hopes and beliefs. Curator: Precisely, and the means of its production reflect those values just as profoundly. Editor: I'll never look at pocket change the same way again. Curator: Nor I. It’s a tiny artifact loaded with history and material reality.