Coin Portraying Emperor Antoninus Pius
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
62798
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The front (obverse) of this coin portrays the emperor Antoninus Pius, facing right and wearing a crown of laurels. On the back (reverse), the god Serapis is depicted wearing a type of headdress called a modius, which is ornamented with laurels.
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....