Front: “Memento Mori” · “What you are I once was. What I am, you will surely become.”
Back: “Time waits for no man.”
At a glance
- Theme: time, aging and the generations before us
- Good for: milestone birthdays, turning points, a reminder to stop waiting
- Gift for: a 40th, 50th or 60th birthday, a father or grandfather, a history lover
- Finishes: Antique Bronze (brass alloy), Antique Silver (brass alloy)
- Size: 39 mm, about 1 oz, die struck in the USA
The meaning
The words on the front are among the oldest epitaphs in Europe. Versions of them were carved on medieval tombs and painted under the skeleton in Masaccio's Holy Trinity fresco in Florence. The dead speak to the living: I was once where you are, and you will one day be where I am.
It sounds grim until you notice what it asks of you. If time waits for no one, then the trip you keep postponing, the call you keep not making and the habit you keep meaning to start all belong to today.
The design
The front shows a skull with an hourglass at its side, the epitaph above it and Memento Mori below. The back is a clock face cracked like old stone, its Roman numerals worn at the edges, with Time waits for no man at the center.
On good days and hard days
- On good days, it reminds you to enjoy each stage of life and the people in it.
- On hard days, when you keep postponing what matters, it reminds you that time waits for no man. Make the call, take the trip, start today.
Carry it
Keep it where you keep your watch or your wallet. It works best as a nudge at small moments: deciding whether to go to the game, whether to call your father back tonight, whether to finally book the trip.
Give it
It makes a thoughtful gift for a milestone birthday, when people already feel time moving. It also suits a parent or grandparent passing something on to the next generation, and anyone who loves old churches, history and the art of memento mori.
Specs
- Diameter: 1.54 in (39 mm), about the size of a silver dollar
- Thickness: 2.7 mm
- Weight: about 1 oz (28 g)
- Material: brass alloy (Antique Bronze, Antique Silver)
- Made: die struck, minted in the USA
- Each coin is antiqued with a special patina so it looks like it has already been in circulation. The patina never settles the same way twice, so no two coins look exactly alike. Small variations in color and shading are normal, and they are what make your coin one of a kind.
Questions
Where does “What you are I once was” come from?
It is a medieval epitaph, found on tombs across Europe and in Masaccio's Holy Trinity fresco. The dead address the living to remind them their time is short.
Is this a good 50th birthday gift?
Yes, for someone who appreciates a meaningful object over a novelty. The message fits a milestone: time moves, so use it well.
How is it different from the Memento Mori Coin?
The Memento Mori Coin is about daily focus. Fleeting Time is about the passing of generations and getting older, with the skull and clock as the main images.
Other coins on the same theme
- Memento Mori Coin: the classic Stoic reminder, your time is limited
- Life Spiral Coin: for the hard worker who needs reminding that nothing comes along at the end
- Vita Brevis Coin: “You are dust,” memento mori with a faith angle
- Omnia Vanitas Coin: for ego and humility
- Carpe Diem Coin: the bright side, remember to live
- Memento Mori Coin, 1 oz .999 Silver: the heirloom version
Care: keep it dry and wipe it with a soft cloth. No polishing needed; the aged finish is part of the look.
Original design by EDC Reminder Coins, protected by copyright. We don't take custom orders.