Aureus (Coin) Portraying Emperor Marcus Aurelius (167 (December)-168 (December), issued by Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus): Artwork and History

Aureus (Coin) Portraying Emperor Marcus Aurelius (167 (December)-168 (December), issued by Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus) is in the Art Institute of Chicago collection. The museum lists its creator attribution as Roman; minted in Rome.

The work and its context

The Art Institute of Chicago describes the work:

Starting in 96 with the reign of Emperor Nerva, Rome was ruled by five wise leaders who came to be known as the “Good Emperors.” Nerva (reigned 96–98) was an honest and respected senator who enacted compassionate social programs. His rule ushered in a period of peace and prosperity, which is suggested by the sheer abundance of coins produced during this era as well as by the skill and artistry of the images created. Coins of this period, especially gold aurei like this one, were often perfectly round, well struck, and centered. The front (obverse) of this coin portrays Emperor Marcus Aurelius facing to the right, laureate and bearded. The laurel wreath, long a symbol of victory in Greece, was adopted by the Romans as an attribute of kingship. The back (reverse) of the coin depicts Victory walking to the left, wreath in right, palm branch in left.

Object facts

• Title: Aureus (Coin) Portraying Emperor Marcus Aurelius
• Date: 167 (December)-168 (December), issued by Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus
• Artist attribution: Roman; minted in Rome
• Place of origin: Italy
• Medium: Gold
• Dimensions: Diam.: 2 cm (13/16 in.)
• Type: Coin
• Department: Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
• Reference number: 1922.4298

Collection credit

Gift of William F. Dunham

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The description above is credited to the Art Institute of Chicago and reused under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0; HTML formatting has been converted to plain text. Other catalogue metadata and the public-domain image are provided under CC0 1.0.