Art Institute of Chicago

Denarius (Coin) Depicting Liberty

Roman, minted in Rome

Date

54 BCE, issued by Roman Republic, M. Junius Brutus (moneyer)

Medium

Silver

Culture

Roman Empire

Department

Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

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. Portraits as Publicity Coins were an efficient form of publicity, particularly when new rulers needed to legitimize their succession or strengthen their reputation. Marcus Brutus issued this coin to commemorate his famous ancestor who drove the Etruscan kings out of Rome. Ten years later Brutus would generate his own publicity by assassinating Julius Caesar.

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