Coin Depicting Constantinople
330-335
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
Diam.: 1.7 cm (11/16 in.)
Classification
coin
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
142669
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The front (obverse) of this coin depicts a personification of the city of Constantinople, laureate, helmeted, and facing to the left, and holding a spear. The back (reverse) depicts the goddess Victory, standing with her right foot on the prow of a ship, holding a sceptre in her right hand and resting her left on a sheild.
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...