Half Follis of Herakleios, Rome 623 - 624

Curator: This is a Half Follis of Herakleios, likely struck in Rome, though definitively by the Umayyads under Abd-al-Malik. Editor: Time has really taken its toll, hasn't it? The surface is so worn it's almost like holding compressed dust. What can you even make out? Curator: Precisely the point! The images and inscriptions, though faded, tell a story of cultural and political negotiation. The Byzantine imagery was retained initially by the Umayyads, then slowly replaced. Editor: So, it’s about shifting power structures made manifest in a humble coin, produced en masse. The wear itself a testament to its circulation and use. Curator: Right. The very act of minting was a statement. To supplant Byzantine currency was to claim authority. Editor: Thinking about the labor, the metal, the molds... it’s a complex story wrapped in a very small, well-traveled package. Curator: Indeed. A tangible piece of history. Editor: It gives you a whole new respect for change.