AN Scyphate Nomisma
Michael VII
Byzantine
Constantinople
Asia Minor
Middle East
1071-1078
Gold
Diameter: 1 1/8 in. (28 mm)
Weight: 4.33 g
Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth: Gift of Arthur Fairbanks, Class of 1886, in memory of his father, Henry Fairbanks, Class of 1853
27.1.29240
Geography
Place Made: Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey, West Asia, Asia
Period
1000-1400
Object Name
Coin
Research Area
Numismatics: Greek and Roman
Not on view
Inscriptions
Obverse: Bust of Christ facing Reverse: Bust of Michael VII facing
Label
Early forms of metal currency were based on the weight and value of their materials, which allowed their exchange outside of their home regions. Since coins were so portable, however, they also served as a perfect vehicle for statements of power by the rulers who produced them. The Roman aureus and the Byzantine solidi each bear the likeness of the ruler who issued the coins: Titus I, Constans II, and Michael VII. The opposite side of each coin features a symbol to convey how the rulers wanted to present their reign, such as a religious figure or an architectural triumph. The pattern established by ancient coins is still recognizable in contemporary coinage. At the time of its issue, the $10 Golden Eagle was the largest denomination produced in the United States. The size of the coin and the sheen of the gold communicated expense, while the figure of Liberty and the Great Shield of the United States evoked the power of the country. The American Gold Prospector, despite similarities to the coins in this grouping, is not a circulating coin at all. It is a form of bullion, or bulk precious metal that is valued by weight rather than as minted currency. While the weight of the object remains the same, the monetary value of gold itself can shift, taking us back to the origins of the use of gold for currency.
From the 2024 exhibition Gold: Materiality, Morality, and Metaphor, curated by Ashley Offill, Curator of Collections
Exhibition History
Gold: Materiality, Morality, and Metaphor, Harrington Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, February 14, 2024.
Provenance
Arthur Fairbanks (1864-1944), Class of 1886; given to present collection, 1927.
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