Denarius (Coin) Portraying Emperor Augustus
2 BCE-4 CE
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
Diam.: 1.9 cm (3/4 in.)
Classification
coin
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
141819
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The front (obverse) of this coin portrays the laureate head of Emperor Augustus facing to the right. On the back (reverse), Caius and Lucius are depicted holding spears and shields. On the wall behind them are priestly instruments: a lituus (curved augural staff) and a simpulum (ladle with long handle). On the back (reverse), Caius Caesar and Lucius Caesar (born to Marcus Agrippa and Julia the Edler) are standing, each resting a hand on a shield. Two spears, a lituus (curved augural staff) and ...
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...