Coin Portraying Emperor Gordian III
243-244
Medium
Billon
Dimensions
Diam.: 2.4 cm (1 in.)
Classification
coin
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
133498
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The front (obverse) of this coin portrays Emperor Gordian III, facing right. The back (reverse) depicts a bust of Serapis (?). The date this coin was struck is indicated in the inscription " L-Z ", which means the seventh year of the emperor's reign, or 243-244 CE. Gordian III reigned as emperor from 238-244 CE.
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....