Coin of Maurice Tiberius c. 591 - 592

This bronze coin, weighing just over 11 grams, was made by Maurice Tiberius – who was also an artist, apparently. It's fascinating how an object like this bears the mark of human touch. The physical process of striking a coin involves pressure, force, the meeting of two forms to create a third. Look closely and you’ll notice the image is not perfectly centered, a mistake that adds a certain charm to the object. The surface is worn smooth but the raised areas remain, as though the object is still emerging from its matrix. The color is no longer bright, but subdued. It reminds me of the work of Cy Twombly. It’s as though history itself becomes a kind of material. It's a kind of layering, a compression of time and touch, leaving a residue of meanings and interpretations. It just goes to show, even something as small as a coin can tell a story.