Coin of Tiberius II c. 578

Curator: Here we have a "Coin of Tiberius II," a bronze coin minted during his reign. It is part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: It feels like such a humble object, yet it carries the weight of an entire empire. The oxidation evokes a sense of decay and lost power. Curator: Precisely. These coins, though small, were tools of imperial power, disseminating the emperor’s image and projecting authority. The iconography itself functioned as propaganda. Editor: I'm drawn to the persistence of Roman symbols adopted across many cultures. The portrait, however worn, still conveys the ideal of leadership, even now. Curator: And we must remember how this “ideal” intersected with issues of class, gender, and privilege. Coins like these remind us how power is both constructed and circulated within a society. Editor: Absolutely. It's remarkable how an object meant to represent enduring power can, over time, speak more eloquently about the transience of empires and the enduring power of symbols.