Coin of Justin II c. 565 - 578

Editor: Here we have a coin of Justin II, a small, weighty object currently housed at the Harvard Art Museums. Looking at its worn surface, I wonder about the hands it passed through. How do you see its significance? Curator: I see here not just currency, but evidence of labor. The coin's material, likely bronze, speaks to the mines it came from, the smelting processes, the physical act of striking the metal. It represents a whole system of production and distribution. Editor: So, it's less about Justin II himself and more about the network that coin represents? Curator: Precisely. We can analyze the coin's wear and tear as a record of its economic life, its circulation within the Byzantine empire. Its materiality offers insights into power dynamics, trade routes, and even social hierarchies. Editor: That's a fascinating way to look at it – the coin as a tangible piece of social history. Curator: Indeed. By examining its physical properties, we unlock stories beyond just the emperor's image.