Coin of Phokas c. 606 - 610

Editor: So, this is a coin of Phokas, its date unknown, residing here at Harvard Art Museums. It's tiny, unassuming, but carries such weight. What stories do you think this little artifact holds? Curator: Ah, a coin, a humble messenger from the past! It whispers of empires and emperors. To me, it evokes the Byzantine world, of power struggles and fleeting reigns. I wonder, who held this coin? What did they buy with it? Editor: It's amazing to think about its journey. Did it buy someone's daily bread? Or perhaps it was lost, a tiny tragedy for its owner? Curator: Exactly! And its very existence tells a tale of resilience, surviving centuries to land here. Imagine the hands it passed through. It's like holding a piece of time. Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way—a tangible piece of history, worn smooth by countless human hands. Curator: Precisely! A tiny window into a vast, complex world.