Art Institute of Chicago

Denarius (Coin) Depicting the Goddess Roma

Roman, minted in Rome

Date

134 BCE

Medium

Silver

Culture

Italy

Department

Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

The front (obverse) of this coin depicts the goddess Roma, facing right. On the back (reverse), the goddess Victory rides in a type of two-horse chariot called a biga. Portraits of important people appear on local currency all around the world. The same was true in ancient Rome, which began producing its first coinage in the late 4th century BCE. Early coins depicted the heads of gods and goddesses on the front side, often in profile, while the back depicted animals, natural resources, symbols, and references to historical events. 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.

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