Dinar of Harun al-Rashid, Musa 787 - 788

Curator: Well, isn't this charming? It's a gold dinar, a coin, really, attributed to Harun al-Rashid, from the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: There’s something so weighty about these small objects, isn't there? This particular one evokes the idea of power distilled, refined into something you can hold in your palm. Curator: Absolutely. Currency is always so telling, isn't it? These inscriptions aren't just decoration; they carry real weight. The text alludes to religious authority, to power granted from a higher source. Editor: Yes, it's a direct link to the past, a tangible symbol of an empire. Gold always has such strong associations, of course—sunlight, divinity, incorruptibility. Curator: Exactly! It's a really lovely, and unexpectedly intimate, glimpse into a very different world. Editor: A small, golden key to unlocking a vast history.