This photograph belongs to the series, "Absolute Powers / ex nihilo." These photographs dive deeper into the taboo and controversial topic of money by showcasing an array of intriguing real-world historic and contemporary objects (some worthless, others immensely valuable), while examining how societies perceive, express, and destroy value. This nearly-pure gold face-plate with official assay engraving belonged to one side of a large 385oz gold ingot. It was retrieved from the famous SS Central America wooden sidewheel steamer sinking 200 miles off the Carolinas’ coast in 1857. Shortly after being granted access to this massive heavy golden bar, this collector sold it for approximately $186,000. Christos is a 1st-gen Greek-American fine-artist whose photographs probe themes of socioeconomics, culture, history, and architecture. As strong symbolic sparks in a frenetic 21st-century tangle, his creative intrigue is informed by identity, connection, nostalgia, and isolation.