Half-Stavraton of Manuel II c. 1391 - 1425

Curator: Here we have a Half-Stavraton, a coin bearing the image of Manuel II. Editor: It's small, isn't it? And worn; you can feel the history in its edges. What would this have been like to hold in your hand centuries ago? Curator: The imagery on this coin is quite telling. The depiction of Christ and the Virgin Mary are not merely portraits, but powerful symbols of Byzantine authority and divine favor. Editor: The material, presumably silver, would have been sourced, mined, traded… what processes were involved? Each coin represents labor, distribution, and economic power. Curator: Absolutely. And the symbols—the halo, the cross—they speak to deeply held religious beliefs, the very foundations of their society. Editor: It’s remarkable how such a humble object can tell us so much about the material and symbolic world it came from. Curator: Indeed. It invites us to consider both the seen and unseen forces that shaped the Byzantine world.