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

Curator: At the Harvard Art Museums, we have a remarkable piece: a One-eighth Stavraton of John V and Andronicus IV. Editor: It looks ancient and worn, but I can make out figures on it. There's a solemnity that resonates, despite the coin's small size. Curator: These coins, though diminutive, served as a powerful political tool. Byzantine currency such as this one was used to reinforce the legitimacy and divine mandate of its rulers. Editor: The repetition of imperial imagery—the emperor's face, specific symbols—must have played a role in shaping public perceptions of power. Curator: Exactly. The coin's iconography, however degraded by time, reflects a culture deeply invested in symbolic representations of authority. Editor: I hadn't considered the political narrative it silently carried; now the object truly speaks. Curator: Indeed, it connects us to a history of cultural and political symbolism.