Art Institute of Chicago

Antoninianus (Coin) Portraying Emperor Balbinus

Roman, minted in Rome

Date: 238 (April-June), issued by Balbinus and Pupienus
Medium: Silver
Culture: Rome
Department: Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Institution: Art Institute of Chicago

The front (obverse) of this coin portrays a bust of Emperor Balbinus facing right, with a radiate crown and wearing a cuirass and paludamentum. The back (reverse) depicts two hands clasped. Since few citizens actually saw their sovereign, recognizable symbols such as crowns, robes, and regalia served to identify the ruler on coinage. The ray-like crown depicted on Balbinus’s head associated the emperor with the sun much like a halo indicates a holy being.

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