Tetradrachm (Coin) Portraying Emperor Otho
69, issued by the city of Antioch
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
Diam.: 2.8 cm (1 1/8 in.)
Classification
coin
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
5775
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The front (obverse) of this coin portrays the head of Emperor Otho, laureate and facing to the right. On the back (reverse), an eagle, wings spread and wreath in beak, stands left on a laurel branch with a palm branch to the left. Portraits of important people appear on local currency all around the world. The same was true in ancient Rome, which began producing its first coinage in the late 4th century BC. Early coins depicted the heads of gods and goddesses on the front side, often in profile...
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...