Tetradrachm (Coin) Portraying Empress Salonina
267-268
Medium
Billon
Dimensions
Diam.: 2.2 cm (7/8 in.)
Classification
coin
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
141508
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The front (obverse) of this coin portrays a draped bust of the empress Salonina, facing right. The back (reverse) depicts an eaglewith a wreath in its beak and its wings open behind. Salonina was married to the Roman emperor Gallienus, who reigned jointly with his father, Valerian, from 253-260, and then as sole emperor to 268. The date this coin was struck is indicated in the reverse inscription "LIE ", which means the fifteenth year of Gallienus's reign, or 267-268 CE.
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...