Pentanummium of Justin I, Constantinople 518 - 527

Curator: Here we have a Pentanummium of Justin I from Constantinople. A humble bronze coin, it weighs just over two grams. Editor: It feels weighty, though, doesn’t it? Literally and figuratively. All that history pressed into a small disc. Curator: Indeed. The coin offers insight into the reign of Justin I and the visual strategies through which imperial power was communicated. Editor: The cross motif on one side is striking, but how did its value reflect the lives of those under Justin's rule? Were such symbols of faith accessible to all, or did they mask deeper social inequities? Curator: The prevalence of such coinage spoke to the ubiquity of imperial authority in daily life but, like today, its value was certainly experienced differently across social strata. Editor: Something to keep in mind as we examine its surface. Curator: Precisely. It's a material link to a complex past.