Concept

Without a doubt, the primary function of a currency is to represent value. However, such a broad definition hides subtleties that become evident as soon as one delves further into the idea. The identity of any monetary object is fundamentally tied to a physical object, with its size, shape, and composition dictated by technology and tied to ideas of economic worth. Simultaneously, such an object has an identity as a symbolic work of art, representing aesthetic ideals, cultural values, and propoganda.

However, in our daily lives these aspects to the identity of currency are merely peripheral- some would argue irrelevant*; and its main function is as a tool, simple means for accomplishing an end. 

Given this diversity, a true account of a currency's value must then seek to understand how this value is tied to all aspects of its identity. 

This exhibit attempts to explore such an account, and extend it into a question: What can be said about the way in which currency constructs its own value, and how does this value illustrate the relationship between a governing authority and its people?  

Given the vast scope of such a question, this exhibit hopes to develop this inquiry with a focus on one particular object (the Latin Imitation of the Coin of Andronikos I), sequentially working through the background, the analytical tools in use, and several relevant case studies before addressing the question in its entirety. By doing so, this exhibit seeks to highlight the assumptions, implications, and potential complications of asking such a question, both as a matter of approach and in management of the relevant details. 

*http://www.retirethepenny.org/it_makes_sense.html