Coin of Justin II c. 565 - 578

Curator: Here we have a coin attributed to Justin II, part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: It’s remarkably small, isn't it? The worn metal surface and the faint details give it a ghostly feel. Curator: Coins like this offer incredible insights into the Byzantine empire’s economic and political systems. Consider the minting process, the imagery chosen... Editor: Right, the way this was produced—the metal extraction, the labor involved in its creation— it circulated through complex systems of exchange, literally embodying value. Curator: Exactly, these coins were tools to express imperial power and influence, disseminating images and messages of authority. Editor: And they were handled, exchanged, hoarded...a real material connection to the past. It makes you wonder about the individual hands it passed through. Curator: Indeed, a tangible link to an era so vastly different, yet fundamentally human. Editor: Definitely food for thought – and reflection on our own systems of value today.