Coin of Justinian I c. 541 - 542

Curator: Here we have a coin of Justinian I, the 6th-century Byzantine emperor. Editor: There's an immediacy in the worn details, a sense of history imprinted on its very surface. Curator: Indeed. The coin’s circular form neatly contains the imperial portrait on one side, balanced by the monetary value on the other. The composition is simple but highly effective. Editor: It's hard not to think about the power dynamics embedded in its creation—who was represented, and who was left out? And how this coin touched the lives of everyday people. Curator: The very concept of value, codified in metal, is itself a fascinating system of signs. It speaks of societal structures that were maintained, lost and found again. Editor: A tangible piece of a grand, complex, and often brutal history. It is incredible.