Stater of Azbaal I, Kition c. 449

Curator: The Harvard Art Museums hold this intriguing artifact, a Stater of Azbaal I from Kition, weighing just under 10 grams. What strikes you about it? Editor: It feels incredibly tactile, almost worn smooth from countless transactions. I imagine the hands it passed through, the stories embedded in its materiality. Curator: Precisely. Consider the labor involved in its creation. The mining of the silver, the skill of the die engraver, the sociopolitical statement behind the imagery chosen by Azbaal I. Editor: Absolutely. As currency, it’s a potent symbol of power and exchange, reflecting the Phoenician kingdom’s economy and influence. What narrative did Azbaal wish to weave through the images he chose to mint? Curator: Perhaps a statement of military strength, or religious commitment? The very act of minting asserts his authority. Editor: It's a profound little object, isn't it? So much history and power concentrated in a single coin. Curator: Indeed. A tangible link to a distant past, its value transcends monetary worth.