Coin of Maurice Tiberius c. 590 - 591

This is a bronze coin issued under the authority of Maurice Tiberius, who ruled the Byzantine Empire from 582 to 602 AD. Coins like this one served not only as currency but as potent instruments of political communication. Consider the imagery: on one side, the stern visage of the emperor himself. This isn't just a portrait; it's a carefully constructed image of power and authority, meant to project an image of strength across a vast and often turbulent empire. On the reverse, we see symbols of imperial power and wealth. The production of these coins was tightly controlled by the state, and the images they carried were carefully chosen to reinforce the legitimacy and authority of the emperor. Numismatists, social historians, and art historians like myself can study these objects to understand how rulers sought to shape public opinion and maintain their grip on power in the Byzantine world.