Decanummium of Justinian, Constantinople after 548

Editor: This is a Decanummium of Justinian from Constantinople. Considering its age and material, the details are fascinating. What can you tell me about the social or material context of this coin? Curator: Consider the bronze alloy: its sourcing, trade routes, and the labor involved in its extraction and processing. These details reveal the interconnected networks sustaining Byzantine power. How does this mass-produced object reflect power dynamics? Editor: I hadn't considered the mining or the trade of raw materials. So, the coin isn't just currency; it's a record of resource extraction and the empire's ability to control these materials? Curator: Precisely. And consider the die-making process. Each strike bears the imprint of skilled labor, but also standardized imperial messaging. How does that contrast with handcrafted art objects? Editor: It highlights the scale and control that the empire had. Seeing it this way makes me appreciate the layers of production embedded in this coin. Curator: Indeed. This coin embodies the intersection of imperial power, material resources, and human labor, revealing a complex web of social and economic relations.