Coin of Justinian I c. 539 - 540

Editor: This is a coin of Justinian I, held at the Harvard Art Museums. It feels strange to see a coin not for spending but as an object, especially with that hole. What do you make of it? Curator: Coins were not just currency; they were powerful symbols. Consider the portrait of Justinian – what does it communicate about his authority? What does the presence of a hole suggest to you about its afterlife as an object? Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way. Maybe the hole indicates it was worn as an amulet? Curator: Precisely! It transforms from a symbol of imperial power to a personal talisman, loaded with new layers of meaning. It reveals the enduring power of images to adapt and resonate across centuries. Editor: That's fascinating; the coin's journey through time shifts its symbolic weight. Curator: Indeed. And it invites us to consider: what will our own symbols mean centuries from now?