Aureus (Coin) Portraying Empress Faustina the Elder
141-161, issued by Antoninus Pius
Medium
Gold
Dimensions
Diam.: 2 cm (13/16 in.)
Classification
coin
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
182872
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The front (obverse) of this coin portrays the empress Faustina, wearing a veil and a diadem on her head. On the back (reverse), the goddess Aeternitas (Eternity) is also depicted veiled. She holds a shallow dish called a patera in her right hand and a rudder in her left.
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...