Coin of Theodosius II 425 - 435

Curator: This is a coin of Theodosius II, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It looks like it has been through a lot. A weathered, almost ghostly presence. You can barely make out the symbols. Curator: Indeed. Coins, beyond their economic purpose, served as powerful propaganda tools. The image of the emperor, along with Christian symbols like the cross, reinforced his authority and divine mandate. Editor: And here the symbols on the coin—the emperor and the cross—become intertwined, each legitimizing the other's power. It suggests an era where political and religious authority were inseparable. Curator: Precisely. In examining it, we can consider the symbolic power objects can wield and how they reflect shifts in cultural values and governance. Editor: It gives me pause, to think about the weight of history held within such a small object. Curator: And how that weight, across centuries, can still speak to us.