Solidus

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Coins are important to historians because they generally provide valuable information about the date of their issue, place where they were struck, and details about the political structure. This solidus, or gold coin, was made in Constantinople during the reign of the controversial Byzantine emperor Phocas (602–10). The obverse (or front) features a representation of the bearded emperor holding a cross and wearing a crown, while the reverse includes a depiction of an angel holding symbols associated with Christ.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world. Displayed in both The Met Fifth Avenue and in the Museum's branch in northern Manhattan, The Met Cloisters, the collection encompasses the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome in the fourth century to the beginning of the Renaissance in the early sixteenth century. It also includes pre-medieval European works of art created during the Bronze Age and early Iron Age.

Metropolitan Museum of Art