Aureus (Coin) Portraying Marcus Aurelius
153-154, issued by Antoninus Pius
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
5644
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The front (obverse) of this coin portrays a bust of Marcus Aurelius facing right, bareheaded, wearing a cuirass (body armor) and paludamentum (military cloak). The back (reverse) depicts the goddess Roma-Virtus, helmeted, standing left in military garb, holding Victory and parazonium (a dagger).
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...