Follis of Tiberius II, Antioch on the Orontes 582

Curator: This is a Follis of Tiberius II, minted in Antioch on the Orontes. Editor: There's something melancholic about it; the worn bronze evokes a sense of time and vanished empire. Curator: The coin’s imagery would have been instantly recognizable: the emperor's portrait on one side, and likely a value mark with religious symbols on the other. Editor: Coins are potent symbols, aren’t they? They imprint authority and ideology into everyday life. This object shows how power was circulated, literally, in society. Curator: Indeed. The effigy acts as a constant reminder, a visual link between the populace and their leader, reinforcing the power of the emperor. Editor: And now it serves as a reminder of the ephemerality of power. Curator: An enduring testament to human ambition. Editor: Precisely, a small artifact with such a big echo.