Coin of Phokas c. 603 - 605

Editor: Here we have a copper coin of Phokas. It's a small, weighty thing, worn with age. Its figures seem to reach out from the metal. What story does this coin whisper to you? Curator: Well, it shouts of power, doesn't it? That solid weight in your palm, the faces staring back, it's a tangible link to a long-gone emperor. I wonder, who held this coin, and what did they buy with it? Editor: So, it's less about artistry and more about its journey through time? Curator: It's both, isn't it? The artistry is in its function, its place in the world. Though, that crude stamping also hints at a certain… instability, don’t you think? Editor: I hadn't considered that! Thank you, that's a perspective I will take with me. Curator: My pleasure! Perhaps this Phokas fellow wasn't as secure as he wanted everyone to believe.