Semissis of Maurice Tiberius, Constantinople c. 583s - 593s

This Semissis coin, made in Constantinople during the reign of Maurice Tiberius, shimmers like concentrated sunlight. You can see that the coin is a small disc of gold, with figures pressed into its surface, probably with a die. It’s wild to think of the labor, the careful touch, that went into making this object. I can imagine the artist’s hands, the precise movements required to capture the likeness of the emperor and religious symbols, each strike of the die a decision, a commitment. It reminds me of applying paint to canvas, each layer building upon the last, a dance between intention and chance. The coin's surface seems worn smooth by touch and time. What did people feel when they held it? What did they think about? How did this coin make them feel powerful, or safe? It reminds me that artists don't work in a vacuum. Everything is connected. Every work of art is part of a larger conversation that stretches back through time and continues into the future.