Obverses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A surface that is opposite or corresponds to another surface, typically referring to the reverse side of a coin or medal
2. A concept in philosophy describing the aspect or viewpoint that contrasts with an alternate perspective
3. The term used in visual art to denote the counterpart of an object or idea, often representing duality or contrast

Etymology: The plural "obverses" is simply the plural of "obverse," the noun for the front face of a coin or medal, the side that usually carries the principal design. The noun comes from Latin "obversus," the past participle of "obvertere," meaning "to turn toward" or "to present the front," built from "ob-" ("toward, against") and "vertere" ("to turn"). Its first recorded use in English dates to the 1650s, when the word was adopted for numismatic and medallic talk about the front of a piece. The Latin root gives the word its underlying picture: a coin is something turned toward the viewer, its principal face presented first. The reverse, by contrast, is the side turned back. English took up "obverse" as a technical term, and it has stayed closely tied to coinage and medals ever since.