Dodecanummium of Herakleios, Alexandria 628 - 629

Curator: This is a Dodecanummium of Herakleios, struck in Alexandria under the Umayyad caliph Abd-al-Malik. Editor: Its patina whispers of age, doesn’t it? The verdigris accents are like tiny emerald jewels on a bronze canvas. Curator: Indeed. This coin represents a fascinating transitional period, reflecting the economic and political shifts as the Umayyad Caliphate consolidated power in the region. Editor: It's a humble object, really, yet charged with history. I imagine countless hands have touched it, each leaving a faint echo of their own story. Curator: Precisely! Coins were potent tools of communication, used to project imperial authority and disseminate political messages. Editor: It makes me wonder, what did it buy? A loaf of bread? A song? Dreams, perhaps? Curator: The coin reminds us that art, even in its most utilitarian forms, is always embedded within a larger social and political context. Editor: Right! And that tiny bronze disc whispers of forgotten empires. A perfect reminder of just how much stories an artwork can hold.