One-eighth Stavraton of John V and Andronicus IV c. 1354 - 1379

Curator: Before us, we have the "One-eighth Stavraton of John V and Andronicus IV," a coin currently housed in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's quite small, isn't it? And worn; it gives a real sense of the passage of time and the hands it must have passed through. Curator: Indeed. This piece offers insight into Byzantine political structures, minted during a tumultuous period of co-rule. The coin's imagery and inscription served as a form of imperial propaganda. Editor: Imperial propaganda shrunk down to fit in your pocket. I wonder about the message it sent to the everyday person using it; did it inspire confidence, or just represent another form of oppression? Curator: The value itself would be a statement, reflecting monetary policies of the time and the emperors' attempts to stabilize the economy. Its circulation highlights the state's influence on even the smallest transactions. Editor: It’s amazing how such a tiny object can speak volumes about power, economics, and the lives of ordinary people. Curator: Precisely. Its preservation allows us to connect tangible artifact with abstract concepts of history and society. Editor: It definitely makes you think about who benefited and who was perhaps further marginalized by the systems this little coin represented.