167 (December)-168 (December), issued by Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus
Artist:
Roman; minted in Rome
About this artwork
Starting in 96 with the reign of Emperor Nerva, Rome was ruled by five wise leaders who came to be known as the “Good Emperors.” Nerva (reigned 96–98) was an honest and respected senator who enacted compassionate social programs. His rule ushered in a period of peace and prosperity, which is suggested by the sheer abundance of coins produced during this era as well as by the skill and artistry of the images created. Coins of this period, especially gold aurei like this one, were often perfectly round, well struck, and centered.
The front (obverse) of this coin portrays Emperor Marcus Aurelius facing to the right, laureate and bearded. The laurel wreath, long a symbol of victory in Greece, was adopted by the Romans as an attribute of kingship. The back (reverse) of the coin depicts Victory walking to the left, wreath in right, palm branch in left.
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.
Obverse: M ANTONINVS AVG ARM PARTH MAX
Reverse: TRP XXII IMP IIII COS III
Dimensions
Diam.: 2 cm (13/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of William F. Dunham
Reference Number
1922.4298
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.
Art Institute of Chicago, “New Coins in the Classical Collection,” Bulletin of the Art Institute of Chicago vol. 16, no. 4 (September 1922) pp. 50-51.
Art Institute of Chicago, “Exhibition Schedule,” Art Institute of Chicago News and Events (September–October 2004), p. 6 (ill.).
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), pp. 28; 90–91, cat. 20E (ill.), fig. 20.1; 113.
Theresa Gross-Diaz, “Cat. 23 Aureus Portraying Marcus Aurelius: Curatorial Entry,” in Roman Art at the Art Institute of Chicago (Art Institute of Chicago, 2016).
Rachel C. Sabino, “Cat. 23 Aureus Portraying Marcus Aurelius: Technical Report,” in Roman Art at the Art Institute of Chicago (Art Institute of Chicago, 2016).
Theresa Gross-Diaz, “Cat. 58 Aureus Portraying Septimius Severus: Curatorial Entry,” in Roman Art at the Art Institute of Chicago (Art Institute of Chicago, 2016), para 3, fig. 58.3.
Elizabeth Hahn Benge, “From Aegina to Andronicus: A Survey of Coinage at the Art Institute of Chicago,” Historia mundi: Le medaglie raccontano la storia, l’arte, la cultura dell’uomo 5 (January, 2016), pp. 212, 213, fig. 14.
Art Institute of Chicago, Recent Acquisitions: Collection of Classical Coins, Summer 1922.
William F. Dunham (1857-1936), Chicago; given to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1922.
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
