Follis of Tiberius II, Antioch on the Orontes c. 578

Editor: This is a Follis of Tiberius II, Antioch on the Orontes. Looking at the coin's relief and the weathering, I find myself wondering about the marks of time. How do you approach interpreting this kind of work? Curator: Consider the materiality. The wear on the coin, the eroded details—these are not imperfections, but integral components of the artifact’s form. They articulate its history as surely as the emperor’s effigy. Note, too, the incised lines which create the images and text. Editor: So, the coin's physical state is itself a key element? Curator: Precisely. The composition balances imperial authority with the abstract symbolism of power. The medium and its degradation become inseparable from its meaning. Editor: That gives me a lot to think about. I see the coin in a new light now. Curator: Indeed, examining the intrinsic qualities of an object refines our understanding.