Coin Portraying Emperor Galerius Maximianus
305-311
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
Diam.: 2.4 cm (1 in.)
Classification
coin
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
10237
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
On the front (obverse) of this coin, the emperor Galerius Maximianus is shown facing right and wearing a crown of laurels. On the back (reverse), the standing figure of a genius holds a cornucopia in one hand while the other pours liquid from a type of shallow dish called a patera.
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...