Half Follis of Herakleios, Carthage 610 - 641

Curator: Looking at this humble artifact, I'm overcome with a feeling of antiquity, of worlds worn smooth by time. Editor: It's a disquieting pairing, isn't it? The Umayyad's Half Follis of Herakleios, found in Carthage. Its weight, just 4.11 grams, belies its heavy history. Curator: The rough texture and faded inscription suggest countless transactions, a silent witness to empires clashing. Editor: The numismatic evidence tells a story of cultural exchange and appropriation. Observe how the coin's design borrows heavily from Byzantine prototypes, subtly asserting a new power dynamic. Curator: I imagine the hands that held this coin, the dreams and anxieties they carried. Editor: Indeed. It's a potent reminder that even the smallest objects can reflect vast political and social shifts. A tangible link to a past both familiar and irrevocably lost. Curator: It sparks the imagination, doesn't it? It reminds you, even old empires started somewhere small. Editor: Absolutely. A small piece, a big reflection.