Coin of Constans II c. 659s

Curator: This is a coin of Constans II. A humble little bronze number from the Byzantine Empire, sitting here in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Well, it feels ancient, burdened by time and touch. The rough surface, the verdigris—it tells a story, doesn't it? Curator: Absolutely. Coins were potent propaganda. Imagine this circulated throughout the empire, a tangible symbol of imperial power. Editor: I wonder about the hands it passed through. Farmers, merchants, soldiers… each transaction adding another layer to its silent narrative. Curator: Consider the image itself. Likely a representation of the emperor, connecting him to the divine right of rule, to the legitimacy of his power. Editor: It's amazing how such a tiny thing held such weight. All those hopes and fears, literally riding on the face of this coin. Curator: It's a small piece, but it embodies the vastness of history, the human desire for control and the endless cycle of rise and fall. Editor: Yes, it reminds me that power, like the metal itself, eventually corrodes and crumbles, doesn't it?