Coin of Phokas c. 604 - 605

Editor: This is a coin of Phokas, whose reign seems lost to time, housed at the Harvard Art Museums. Its patina whispers stories. What secrets do you think it holds? Curator: Ah, a coin! A humble object, yet a portal to another age. Imagine the hands that touched it, the marketplaces it traversed. It speaks of power, doesn't it? The wear and tear, the almost ghostly images… Editor: Exactly! The ghostly images are what intrigue me most. Curator: Me too! Close your eyes and let your imagination run wild. Picture the emperor, his ambitions, the everyday life swirling around him. This coin, it's a little piece of that grand, messy human drama. Editor: I never thought about it that way before; it's like a time capsule in my hand. Curator: Precisely! Each coin offers a unique lens through which to view the past.