Antoninianus (Coin) Portraying Empress Salonina
253-260
Medium
Billon
Dimensions
Diam.: 2.1 cm (7/8 in.)
Classification
coin
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
141656
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The front (obverse) of this coin portrays a bust of empress Salonina, diademed and draped, facing right on a crescent. The back (reverse) despicts the goddess Vesta, standing to the left, holding a patera (dish) and sceptre. Salonina was married to the Roman emperor Gallienus, who reigned jointly with his father, Valerian, from 253-260, then as sole emperor to 268.
About the Artist
Ancient Roman
The artists attributed to "Ancient Roman" in museum collections represent the anonymous craftsmen who produced the vast output of sculpture, frescoes, mosaics, and reliefs defining Roman visual culture from the Republic (c. 509–27 BCE) to the late Empire (c. 395 CE). Individual identities remain elusive, as Roman makers were typically viewed as skilled tradesmen—often enslaved Greeks or provincial...