Coin of Justin II c. 570 - 571

Editor: Here we have a copper coin minted during the reign of Justin II. It’s pretty beat-up, but there’s something solid and stoic about it. What story do you think it whispers, if you could put your ear right up to it? Curator: Ah, if coins could talk! I see the weight of empire pressed into that copper, the tangible cost of power. Consider its journey, perhaps exchanged in bustling markets, funding wars, or tucked away as savings. Does it make you think about value, both monetary and human? Editor: Absolutely! It is amazing to think about the hands it passed through. I hadn't thought about the human cost of it all. Curator: Exactly. It reminds me that behind every grand design are countless untold stories. Editor: I'll never look at a coin the same way again.