Coin of Maurice Tiberius c. 583s - 593s

This 6.41-gram coin, now residing at Harvard, was created during the reign of Maurice Tiberius, a period of significant transition in the late Roman Empire. As a symbol of authority and commerce, the coin embodies the power dynamics of the time. Its imagery, likely depicting the emperor or symbolic representations of his rule, would have reinforced his legitimacy. However, what stories does this coin not tell? Who were the ordinary people whose labor supported the empire, yet whose faces never appeared on currency? How did economic policies affect the lives of women, slaves, and the poor? These are voices absent from the official record, yet crucial to understanding the coin's full context. Looking at this small object, we're reminded that history is not just about emperors and battles, but about the countless untold stories that shaped the world we live in today.