Coin of Maurice Tiberius c. 590 - 591

This Coin of Maurice Tiberius, wherever it was minted, is a small bronze disc, worn and disfigured. I can just imagine the artist figuring out how to fill this little space and how to make it work. He was probably thinking, 'How do I make this tiny surface sing?' It’s a bit like starting a painting, you know? You make a mark, then another, trying to find a balance. The image must have been so sharp when it was made, a clear portrait on one side, a bold symbol on the other. Look at it now, this worn surface is like a map of time. It feels like a dialogue between then and now. This coin reminds me that everything changes, but that the urge to make something that lasts, that speaks, continues. We’re all just adding our marks to the conversation, trying to leave something behind.