Tetradrachm (Coin) Portraying Emperor Tiberius
14-37
Medium
Billon
Dimensions
Diam.: 2.5 cm (1 in.)
Classification
coin
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
142244
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The front (obverse) of this coin portrayys the head of Emperor Tiberius, facing right, laureate. The back (reverse) portrays the radiate head of Augustus, also facing right. In 4 CE, Tiberius was adopted by Emperor Augustus as his son. When Augustus died in 14, he was succeeded by Tiberius. Incluing imagery of the divine Augustus, the first emperor of the Roman Empire, helped Tiberius to advertise his inherited right to rule, as Augustus’s heir.
About the Artist
Ancient Egyptian
Ancient Egyptian artists, a collective of highly skilled artisans spanning over three millennia from the Predynastic period (c. 6000–3150 BC) to the Roman era (30 BC–4th century AD), produced some of humanity's most enduring masterpieces. These anonymous craftsmen, often organized in state-sponsored workshops, lived in dedicated communities like Deir el-Medina near Luxor during the New Kingdom (c....