Coin of Huvishka c. 200

Curator: This is a coin, 9.12 grams, minted during the reign of Huvishka I. Editor: It's amazing how much history fits in something so small. I feel like I'm looking at a tiny, battered universe. Curator: Each coin was a material statement. The Kushan empire used copper, a locally available and relatively inexpensive metal, for many of their coins. It's less about inherent value, more about daily transactions. Editor: So, not just art, but a tool of empire? I wonder about the hands this coin passed through, the stories it could tell. There's something poetic about that, isn't it? Curator: Absolutely. Copper's transformative properties also mirrored the shifts in power. The coin acted as a physical embodiment of Huvishka's authority. Editor: Makes you wonder what stories our own currency will tell in a thousand years! It's a beautiful glimpse into history's material culture.