Coin of Leo III c. 732

Editor: This is the Coin of Leo III, of undetermined date, currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. It's incredible to think about what this small coin might have witnessed. What symbols do you see embedded in its design, and what do they tell us? Curator: Well, consider how an image of the emperor or a cross became shorthand for power, authority, and divine blessing. Each emblem on this coin is carefully chosen and imbued with multiple layers of meaning. What emotional response do these images evoke in you? Editor: I feel a strange connection to the past, like holding a tiny piece of history. It makes me think about the power of symbols to transcend time. Curator: Exactly. And that continuity, that cultural memory encoded in such a small object, speaks volumes about human need for symbolic representation. Editor: I never thought of a coin carrying so much cultural weight. Curator: Visual symbols become a mirror reflecting cultural values, beliefs, and even fears across generations.