Coin of Phokas c. 602 - 610

Editor: This is a coin of Phokas, its date is unknown. It's quite small. What strikes me is how much history this tiny object has witnessed. How do you interpret its imagery? Curator: Indeed. Consider how potent an image must be to survive on something so small! Coins weren't just currency; they were propaganda. What stories do you think Phokas wanted this coin to tell? Editor: Perhaps stories of power or stability? I hadn’t thought about propaganda on a coin before. Curator: Precisely. Each symbol, each imperfection even, speaks to the anxieties and aspirations of its time. We see cultural memory etched into its very surface. Editor: That’s a really fascinating way to look at it. Thanks!