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Denarius (Coin) Depicting the Goddess Roma
Ancient Roman139 BCE, issued by the Aurelia family
- Attribution
- Roman
- Medium
- Silver
- Physical dimensions
- Diam.: 1.9 cm (3/4 in.)
- Credit line
- Gift of William F. Dunham
CATALOGUE RECORD
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Source rights statement: Public domain
View the museum record ↗From the museum
The denarius, introduced in 211 BCE, was the principal silver coin of Rome for five hundred years. The profile head of the goddess Roma—the personification of Rome—was the most popular image depicted on silver denarii in the second and first centuries BCE. The front (obverse) of this coin depicts the helmeted head of the goddess Roma, facing to the right. On the back (reverse), two centaurs (half-man, half-horse) pull the hero Hercules in a chariot.
Description: Art Institute of Chicago · CC BY 4.0