Coin Portraying Emperor Nero
67-68
Medium
Billon
Dimensions
Diam.: 2.4 cm (1 in.)
Classification
coin
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
142289
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The front (obverse) of this coin portrays the bust of Emperor Nero, facing left, radiate, wearing a cuirass (breastplate), "L l∆" before. On the back (reverse) is depicted a bust of Goddess Hera Argeia, facing right, veiled, with a star before. The date this coin was struck is indicated in the obverse inscription " LI ∆ ", which means the fourteenth year of Nero's reign, or 67-68 CE. Nero reigned as emperor from 54-68 CE.
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...