Roman coins are often studied to understand the economy of the ancient world, although a much broader debate concerns the role they played in imperial propaganda. And it is in this context that a recent line of studies is investigating the relationship between coins and female representations, to understand whether women also had a function in the socio-political sphere, and which one. As a matter of fact, working on the portraits of the Augustae, it becomes evident that the differences are not only in hairstyles, but also in objects that are commonly seen only as jewels or ornaments and could instead be interpreted as insignia of power. Crowns, stephanai and diadems can also be seen in statuary and glyptics, however, it is on coin portraits that an evolution in diachrony is most clearly observed and a “political” meaning can be assumed behind their use. This paper, combined with analysis of ancient sources and philological study of Latin and Greek terms, presents the preliminary results of a research still in progress, hoping to offer new interpretations - and new questions - about the female counterpart of power in Roman times. 

Keywords: Women, Jewels, Portraiture, Iconography, Crowns.