Coin of Tiberius II c. 579 - 582

Editor: This is a bronze coin of Tiberius II, residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. The material looks quite worn, and the design is fascinating. How do you interpret the formal elements at play here? Curator: The coin's circular form dictates the composition. Observe the obverse: the emperor's bust, framed by inscriptions, creates a dense, textural surface. The reverse simplifies the message with the bold "XXX" and "CON," achieving clarity through abstraction. Editor: Is the circular shape significant beyond the practical? Curator: Indeed. The roundness reinforces the coin's inherent function as a unit of exchange, a complete and self-contained system of value. The corrosion, then, acts as an almost brutal counterpoint, highlighting the coin's materiality and its vulnerability to time. What meaning do you derive from that interplay? Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered. Thanks! Curator: A productive discussion.