Hyperperon of Michael VIII c. 13th century

Curator: The "Hyperperon of Michael VIII," housed at the Harvard Art Museums, intrigues me with its golden sheen and miniature scale. Editor: It feels incredibly tactile, doesn't it? You can almost feel the weight and the imprint of the die used to strike it. Curator: Absolutely. Considering Michael VIII's controversial seizure of power in 1261, how might this coin, a symbol of his reign, reflect or even attempt to legitimize his position? Editor: That's where the materiality comes into play. Gold, as currency and object, asserts power. Its circulation funded policies, but its possession by individuals also shaped social relations. Curator: Precisely! And the imagery—the emperor, likely depicted with religious figures—reinforces divine right and imperial authority. Editor: It is fascinating how an object of such small size could bear such a huge material and symbolic load. Curator: It's a tangible piece of Byzantine history, reflecting political maneuvering and social structures. Editor: Indeed, a coin that connects us to both the labor that produced it and the complex social forces it helped to shape.