Coin of Justinian II c. 705 - 711

Curator: This is a gold coin of Justinian II, currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's strikingly regal, even in this diminished form. The gold possesses a compelling gleam. Curator: Indeed. Coins like this were not merely currency but potent symbols. Justinian, facing challenges to his rule, used imagery to assert authority. Editor: The double portrait, particularly, is intriguing. It suggests shared power, perhaps a co-regent or a divine endorsement. What do you make of it? Curator: It signifies dynastic legitimacy, crucial during periods of instability. The images connect Justinian to divine right and earthly power. Editor: It's fascinating how an object so small carries so much symbolic weight. You can feel the weight of history and political intention imbued in the metal. Curator: Absolutely. Examining this coin provides a unique lens through which to view the political landscape and visual culture of Byzantium. Editor: It leaves me contemplating the many hands it passed through and the statements, intentional or not, it might have made to them.