Denarius (Coin) Depicting the Goddess Roma
109-108 BCE
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
Diam.: 1.9 cm (3/4 in.)
Classification
coin
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
142608
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The front (obverse) of this coin depicts the head of Roma facing right wearing a helmet decorated by plume and two stars: behind is a symbol (X-type cross with horizontal line through center). On the back (reverse) is a galley with helmet on prow, acrostolium on poop deck; the whole within an oak wreath. The denarius, introduced in 211 BCE, was the principal silver coin of Rome for five hundred years. The profile head of the goddess Roma—the personification of Rome—was the most popular image d...
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...