Half Asper of Alexios IV of Trebizond c. 1416 - 1429

Curator: This is a Half Asper of Alexios IV of Trebizond, now residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The coin looks timeworn, almost like a ghost of currency. The silver is patinated, and the imagery seems worn down. Curator: As currency, it circulated, acting as a tool of economic and social exchange. Alexios IV, as the issuing authority, aimed to project power and legitimacy through such coins. Editor: Coins are tools of propaganda, then. Who controlled the mint controlled the narrative, in a way. I wonder what the implications were for minority groups, who had no role in it. Curator: Exactly. It reminds us of the interconnectedness of art, power, and representation. Editor: Looking at this coin helps me think about labor, who mined the silver, who designed the imagery, and how that labor reinforced existing social structures. Curator: Considering it helps us question what narratives get preserved and whose stories are left out. Editor: Indeed. It’s a humble object, but it speaks volumes about the dynamics of power and representation.