Coin of Justin II c. 569 - 570

Curator: This is a coin minted during the reign of Justin II. The weight of the coin is just under six grams, and it's currently held in the collections of the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by how worn it is. It looks like it’s been through centuries of use, its details softened by time and touch. Curator: Absolutely. As an artifact of political and economic power, consider its circulation, the messages it broadcast about the emperor, and how those messages would have been received across social strata. Editor: Right, and who held that power? What gender, race, or class did they represent? And what did the imagery communicate about their legitimacy in a world steeped in inequality? Curator: Coins like these weren't just currency; they were instruments of propaganda, shaping public perception of the emperor and the empire's values. Editor: Exactly. The materiality speaks volumes, a silent witness to power dynamics, economic exchanges, and the stories of countless individuals whose lives intersected with this small object. We're reminded of the layers of historical weight packed into something so seemingly simple.