Half-Stavraton of Manuel II c. 1391 - 1425

Editor: Here we have the Half-Stavraton of Manuel II. It's incredibly small, yet it contains so much detail! What kind of story does it tell? Curator: Coins like this were not just currency; they were powerful symbols. Consider the imagery – the emperor himself, religious iconography. These were carefully chosen to project authority, legitimacy, and divine favor. How do you think these symbols worked on the Byzantine populace? Editor: I guess they were constant reminders of who was in charge and what values were important. Thanks, I never thought of coins as tools of propaganda. Curator: Precisely. Every image carries a weight of meaning, consciously or unconsciously received. Thinking about it this way transforms our understanding.