Denarius (Coin) Portraying Mark Antony and Queen Cleopatra VII
37-33 BCE, issued by Mark Antony
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
5597
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The front (obverse) of this coin portrays the head of Mark Antony, facing to the right. On the back (reverse), a bust of Cleopatra is portrayed, facing to the right. Through Cleopatra, Egypt became involved in the chaotic political struggles of the Roman civil war, in which Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, and Octavian sought to control Egypt’s wealth of grain and gold. Eventually this led to the end of Egypt’s existence as a sovereign nation as well as the destruction of the Ptolemaic dynasty. This...
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...