Coin of Herakleios c. 612 - 613

Curator: This coin, minted by Abd-al-Malik of the Umayyad Caliphate, is an intriguing artifact. It depicts what appears to be a modified image of Herakleios, a Byzantine emperor. Editor: It feels like a palimpsest, visually overwritten with the symbols of a new power, but still haunted by the old. I wonder what that meant for the people who used it every day? Curator: Exactly. The coin represents a moment of transition, a deliberate appropriation of existing iconography to legitimize new rule. It speaks volumes about the politics of imagery. Editor: And about how power is brokered through representation. Who gets to be seen, and how? Did those symbols reinforce or undermine his legitimacy in the eyes of different groups? Curator: These are crucial questions. This coin isn't just currency; it's a statement of power and cultural negotiation. Editor: Seeing how empires rise and fall, and leave these small but powerful objects behind, it's very humbling.