Decanummium of Anastasios I, Constantinople c. 498 - 518

Curator: Here we have a Decanummium of Anastasios I, from Constantinople. It is a small bronze coin, currently held in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The coin looks like it’s whispering stories of resilience and endurance – so worn, yet with such clear images. Curator: Precisely! The coin, issued during Anastasios I's reign, served not just as currency but as a means of projecting imperial power throughout the Byzantine Empire. Editor: I see the faint outline of the emperor. Imagining that same face on thousands of coins, influencing lives and trade… it’s pretty powerful. Curator: It underscores the importance of imagery in political communication. Currency became a portable advertisement for imperial authority. Editor: It's a tangible link to a distant past – you can almost feel the weight of history in your hand. Curator: Absolutely, examining this coin allows us to contemplate the intersection of art, economics, and political power in the Byzantine era. Editor: It really does invite us to ponder what we choose to immortalize, and how the everyday objects we create carry our stories forward.