Coin of John II c. 12th century

Editor: This is a coin of John II, likely made of bronze. It's amazing to see how the material itself has changed over time. What can you tell me about it from a materialist perspective? Curator: A materialist reading compels us to consider the labor involved. Who mined the ore? Who smelted the metal? Who designed, struck, and distributed the coin? Each stage reveals social relationships and economic structures. How did this coin function within that system of production and consumption? Editor: That's a completely different way of looking at it than I expected, thinking about all the hands that touched it and the societal structure involved. Curator: Indeed, analyzing the coin's materiality allows insights beyond simply its aesthetic or symbolic value. It's a microcosm of its time.