Coin of Maurice Tiberius c. 590 - 591

This coin was made in the Byzantine Empire, in present-day Turkey, during the reign of Maurice Tiberius, who ruled from 582 to 602 AD. Coins in Byzantium were not simply currency; they were powerful tools of imperial propaganda. The emperor’s portrait on one side, surrounded by inscriptions, asserted his legitimacy and divine right to rule. The large ‘M’ on the other side indicates the coin's value. Minted in copper, this piece would have circulated among the lower classes, its imagery reinforcing the social order from the very bottom of society. By studying coinage alongside texts and archaeology, we can better understand the Byzantine political system and the emperor’s relationship to his subjects. The survival of such an object allows us to contemplate the empire’s lasting influence on political and economic thought.