Coin of Herakleios c. 610 - 613

Curator: This artifact, a gold coin of Herakleios from the Umayyad period, attributed to Abd-al-Malik, carries a weight of 1.44 grams and is currently housed at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It looks as though time has caressed it gently, leaving marks of wear and a soft golden hue. It's amazing to consider what stories this little coin could tell. Curator: The coin's design is quite layered, as the Umayyads initially adopted existing Byzantine coinage, retaining imagery while slowly incorporating Arabic script and Islamic symbols. Editor: It is wild, to think that an object so small could act as a stage for shifting empires. I wonder what it felt like to hold it, and know that the world was changing with every transaction. Curator: It's a physical representation of cultural negotiation, each alteration on the coin reflecting a calculated assertion of power in a multicultural world. Editor: Beautifully put. It makes you realize how much of history is in the subtle details, doesn't it?