Coin of Justin II c. 572 - 573

Editor: This is a coin made by Justin II, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s quite small, but the details are fascinating. What strikes you about its visual composition? Curator: The most compelling element is the duality embedded within its design. Note the stark contrast between the figural representation and the abstract lettering, signifying the intersection of power and symbolic language. Editor: So, it's almost like two different worlds pressed together on a single surface? Curator: Precisely. One could interpret the coin as a microcosm, reflecting the Emperor’s attempt to integrate both tangible authority and symbolic representation within a unified visual statement. Editor: I see, the coin serves as a formal synthesis of power and language. Thanks for illuminating that. Curator: It is in observing these formal relationships, the interplay between line, form and space, that one truly deciphers the coin's intended message.