Aureus (Coin) Portraying Empress Faustina the Younger
161-175, issued by Marcus Aurelius
Medium
Gold
Dimensions
Diam.: 2 cm (13/16 in.)
Classification
coin
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
5648
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The front (obverse) of this coin portrays a bust of Empress Faustina the Younger right, bareheaded, and draped. The back (reverse) depicts the goddess Juno (or Faustina) standing left between two children; extending right arm over a child and cradling an infant in left. Antoninus Pius, living up to his name, portrays himself practicing religious rites by making a sacrifice to the gods. His daughter the empress Faustina the Younger, was paired with an image of Juno who, as the wife of Jupiter, s...
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...