Denarius Serratus (Coin) Depicting the Goddess Diana
about 81 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
139847
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The front (obverse) of this coin depicts the head of the goddess Diana facing to the right, with a quiver and bow on her shoulder. The skull and horn of an ox (called a bucranium) is in the field above. The back (reverse) depicts a priest in a toga facing to the left with his right hand raised as he sprinkles water over a sacrifical ox. A small lighted altar is between them. The inscription around the scene, A. POST. A. F. S. N. ALBIN, refers to the moneyer Aulus Postumius Albinus.
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...