Dinar of al-Hakim, Misr 1012 - 1013

Curator: Behold this golden Dinar of al-Hakim from Misr, residing at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s hefty at 4.23 grams. Editor: It gleams with such permanence, almost otherworldly. Each calligraphic line feels pregnant with unspoken meaning. Curator: Precisely! Coins transcend mere currency; they embody power, faith, and lineage. This coin, commissioned by Al-Hakim, echoes Fatimid ideology and sovereignty. Editor: The script feels both ancient and eternally relevant, a perfect encapsulation of religious text used as societal glue. Do you think it served as propaganda, even then? Curator: Indubitably. Visual emblems and inscribed decrees reinforced Al-Hakim's legitimacy across his realm. It's cultural memory made tangible. Editor: Contemplating its journey through epochs, the weight of hands that held it… it's humbling. A little golden key to the past.