Denarius (Coin) Depicting a Galley

Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium

32-31 BCE, issued by Marc Antony

Roman

The front (obverse) of this coin depicts a type of Praetorian ship, called a galley, with rowers. On the back (reverse), an eagle flies between two staffs. The Roman number “VI” (six) refers to one of the twenty-three legions that served under Mark Antony. Coins such as this denarius were used to pay his fleet.

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

Culture: Ancient Roman
Title: Denarius (Coin) Depicting a Galley
Place: Roman Empire (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.: 32 BCE–31 BCE
Medium: Silver
Inscriptions: Obverse: ANT AVG – III VIR R P C (Antonius augur triumvir rei publicae constituendae) Reverse: LEG VI
Dimensions: Diam.: 1.7 cm (11/16 in.)
Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. William Nelson Pelouze
Reference Number: 1923.1238
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/9913/manifest.json

Elizabeth Hahn Benge, “From Aegina to Andronicus: A Survey of Coinage at the Art Institute of Chicago,” in Historia Mundi n. 5 (January 2016), pp. 208, 210 (fig. 11).
Seth D. Pevnick, Poseidon and the Sea: Myth, Cult, and Daily Life. exh. cat. (Tampa: Tampa Museum of Art; London: D. Giles Limited, 2014) p. 171 (ill.).

Omaha, NE, Joslyn Art Museum, Poseidon and the Sea: Myth, Cult, and Daily Life, February 6 - May 11, 2014 ; traveled to Tampa Museum of Art, June 14 - November 30, 2014, and Hanover, NH, Hood Museum of Art, January 17, 2015 - March 15, 2015.

Mrs. William Nelson (Helen T.) Pelouze (1866-1953), Chicago; given to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1923.

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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.