Coin Portraying Emperor Augustus
27 BCE-14 CE
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
Diam.: 1.4 cm (9/16 in.)
Classification
coin
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
142904
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The front (obverse) of this coin portrays the head of Emperor Augustus. The back (reverse) depicts a griffin, a mythological creature with the head and wings of an eagle and body of a lion.
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...