Coin of Constantine X c. 1059 - 1067

Curator: This coin, a 'Coin of Constantine X' from the Harvard Art Museums, whispers of a bygone era. It's a hefty little thing, weighing in at 10 grams, and what strikes me is its…palpable history. Editor: The wear is incredible. You can almost feel the hands that held it, the purses it sat in, the transactions it witnessed. I wonder about the copper content, the minting process. Curator: It's more than just copper, though, isn't it? Constantine X himself stares out from one side, a halo suggesting divine right. The other side, worn smooth, depicts what seems to be a veiled figure. Editor: Absolutely. But consider the societal function, too. This wasn't just currency; it was propaganda, circulating the ruler's image, reinforcing power structures across the Byzantine Empire. Curator: I like that—the weight of power, quite literally, in your palm. Makes me think of empire, ambition, and the slow creep of time… Editor: And the labor, the extraction, the smelting... It's a powerful object when you start to consider all the social relations embedded in it. Curator: It really does hold a whole story. Editor: Layers upon layers.