Coin of John II c. 12th century

Editor: Here we have a coin, attributed to John II, from the Harvard Art Museums. Its weight is just under 5 grams. It looks quite worn; what can you tell me about the coin's journey through its materials? Curator: This coin invites us to consider value beyond the immediately apparent. The wear, the material itself, speaks to production, to trade routes, to the hands it passed through. How was it produced? What was its impact on the society that used it? Editor: So its real value lies less in its artistic beauty, and more in its social and economic impact? Curator: Precisely. The coin embodies a network of labour, exchange, and power – a tangible link to a past economy and the human stories intertwined with it. Editor: That’s a really interesting way to think about it. Thanks!