Denarius (Coin) Portraying Octavian (32-29 BCE): Artwork and History

Denarius (Coin) Portraying Octavian (32-29 BCE) is in the Art Institute of Chicago collection. The museum lists its creator attribution as Roman.

The work and its context

The Art Institute of Chicago describes the work:

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. The front (obverse) of this coin portrays the Emperor Octavius facing right. The back (reverse) depicts the god Apollo playing a lyre.

Object facts

• Title: Denarius (Coin) Portraying Octavian
• Date: 32-29 BCE
• Artist attribution: Roman
• Place of origin: Italy
• Medium: Silver
• Dimensions: Diam.: 1.8 cm (3/4 in.)
• Type: Coin
• Department: Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
• Reference number: 1923.1251

Collection credit

Gift of Mrs. William Nelson Pelouze

View the original

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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.