Coin of Justinian I c. 547 - 548

Curator: This is a coin of Justinian I, weighing 7.56 grams, currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels weighty, doesn't it? Like holding a little piece of history in your palm, worn smooth by centuries of transactions and beliefs. Curator: The image of Justinian is a potent assertion of imperial power, of course, but the placement of the Chi-Rho symbol on the reverse underscores the complex relationship between religion and governance during his reign. It's fascinating how he instrumentalized faith. Editor: I see a face struggling to emerge from the metal, a whispered echo of power. Does it remind anyone else of a Rorschach test, where the truth lies in the eye of the beholder? Curator: In a way, yes. The coin tells the story of Justinian’s efforts to consolidate power, both politically and religiously, deeply informing Byzantine identity. Editor: Looking at this coin, I wonder who held this so many years ago, and what their dreams were. Curator: Indeed, it's a reminder that every artifact has stories, not just of rulers but of the nameless masses whose lives were shaped by them.