Solidus (Coin) of Honorius

Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium

405

Byzantine, minted in Ravenna, Italy

Certainly the best-known face in antiquity was that of Alexander the Great (reigned 336-323 BCE), whose profile graced coins for two hundred years. He collected the treasure of conquered kingdoms as he swept across the Near East, and with this rich booty he set up mints that produced coins bearing his portrait. Such self-advertising was new to Greece. It had been only forty years since a portrait of a living person first appeared
on coinage.

The purpose of the first portrait coins was to identify the ruler. The front side became a mirror of the sovereign’s self-image. The back was often used to communicate the ruler’s accomplishments or intentions. The profile portrait was used because it suited the very shallow depth and limited surface of the coin. The tiny images were carved by engravers into bronze dies, one for the front and another for the back. The coins were then struck, one by one, in a process similar to how modern coins are created today.

The front (obverse) of this coin portrays the bust of Honorius, facing right, draped, cuirassed, and laureate. The back (reverse) depicts Honorius standing to the right, holding a military standard and globe surmounted by Victory. His right foot rests on a captive.

Rather than defending the Roman Empire, the emperor Honorius (reigned 394–423) lived to see Italy overrun by Visigoths led by King Alaric, who virtually ended the rule of Rome.

Status: Currently Off View
Department: Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium

Artist: Byzantine
Title: Solidus (Coin) of Honorius
Place: Ravenna (Minted in)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: Struck 405 CE
Medium: Gold
Inscriptions: Obverse: D N HONORIVS P F AVG Reverse: VICTORIA AVGGG in Exergue: RIV COMOB
Dimensions: Diam.: 2.1 cm (7/8 in.)
Credit Line: Gift of Martin A. Ryerson
Reference Number: 1922.4906
IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.: https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/96054/manifest.json

Louise Berge and Karen Alexander, “Ancient Gold Work and Jewelry from Chicago Collections,” The Ancient World, vol. 11, nos. 1 and 2 (1985), p. 22.
Karen B. Alexander and Mary Greuel. Private Taste in Ancient Rome: Selections from Chicago Collections. Exh. cat. (Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, 1990), cat 61.
Karen B. Alexander, “From Plaster to Stone: Ancient Art at the Art Institute of Chicago,” in Karen Manchester, Recasting the Past: Collecting and Presenting Antiquities at the Art Institute of Chicago (Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago; New Haven: Yale University Press, 2012), p. 29.

The Art Institute of Chicago, Coin Production in Ancient World, 1994-1997.
Art Institute of Chicago, Ancient Art Galleries, Gallery 155, April 20, 1994 - February 22, 2004 and May 16, 2004 - February 6, 2012.
Museum of Fine Arts Houston, The Centaur’s Smile: The Human Animal in Early Greek Art, February 22 – May 16, 2004.

Martin A. Ryerson (1856-1932), Chicago; given to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1922.

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Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

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Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

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IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.

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IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.