Milled Edge

A pale metallic glint caught the midday light between two weathered cedar slats. I walked along the grain to inspect it without haste. A solid brass token, stamped with a geometric ring and serrated rim, sat wedged upright in the seam. The tolerances were tight. I tested the resistance with the sole of my shoe before using the crisp edge of my bill stack to nudge the accumulated grit from the groove. It shifted with a clean, low click. Solid alloy. Uncluttered design. A disciplined piece of small-scale minting left out in the open.