Half-Stavraton of Manuel II c. 1391 - 1425

Curator: Let's turn our attention to this unassuming silver coin, a "Half-Stavraton of Manuel II", currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums, and tipping the scales at a mere 3.75 grams. Editor: It's so worn, isn't it? The images feel like whispers from another age, barely clinging to the surface. Curator: Indeed. And to think about the minting process, the extraction of the silver, the labor involved... It's a whole system of production condensed into this tiny object. Editor: Makes you wonder about the hands it passed through! I feel a strange connection to the people and the stories they wove around this humble coin. What do you see in it? Curator: A kingdom balancing on a dime, or rather, half a Stavraton. And on a more personal note, I feel strangely grounded by its heft. Editor: Like a tangible link to history. I am left contemplating the vastness of time. Curator: Agreed. A small coin, yet a vast universe of meaning contained within.