As (Coin) Portraying Emperor Antoninus Pius
140-144
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
Diam.: 2.7 cm (1 1/8 in.)
Classification
coin
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
141712
Art Historical Context
This bronze *as*, minted between 140 and 144 CE during the early reign of Emperor Antoninus Pius, exemplifies the everyday artistry of ancient Roman coinage. Measuring just 2.7 cm in diameter, it served as a common denomination in the vast Roman economy, circulating widely across the empire from Britain to Syria. Antoninus Pius, who ruled from 138 to 161 CE, is portrayed on the obverse, his dignified profile embodying the stability and *pax Romana*—a period of relative peace he championed after the more turbulent times of his predecessor, Hadrian. Roman coins like this were masterful tools of...
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...