Dinar of Al-Walid 708 - 709

Curator: Here we have a gold dinar, attributed to Al-Walid I, currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's so small, yet radiates this incredible sense of permanence. Like holding history itself in your palm. Curator: Indeed. The coin's composition centers around intricate kufic script, a key element in understanding its symbolic value. Consider its circular form. How might we interpret its geometry as an emblem? Editor: Well, circles usually mean unity, wholeness, maybe even eternity, right? So on a coin, that's power...authority...it feels like a statement beyond just currency. Curator: Precisely. The weight, 4.25 grams, offers another point. What inferences might you draw? Editor: It's light, but gold. It makes me imagine the bustling marketplaces, the weight of trade and influence. What a treasure, literally and figuratively. Curator: A tangible artifact, allowing us to connect with the past. Editor: Absolutely. Each detail resonates, whispering stories of empires long gone.