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Aegis is a protective ornament, used by the emperor on his armor. It is constituted of a piece of the skin of Amalthea nymph's goat, that one who feeds Zeus / Jupiter in his childhood. Later, when Persée killed the Medusa Gorgon, Athena / Pallas, arranged aegis to place the head decided of the Gorgon there. Medusa's head had indeed the power to transform in stone whoever looked at it. It is frequently sculpted on the armor of the imperial statuaries, and shows the emperor's war character thus.
Aegis also appears on coins, as for example on this denarius of Domitianus :
Let's note, in order to admire the knowledge to make the monetary Roman, that the diameter of this coins is of 2 cm and that aegis measures 3 mm more or less! Here it is again on a sestertius and a denarius of Trajan:
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It also appears to the reverse of a very rare denarius of Septimus Severus, on which one can really see the skin of Amalthea's goat and Medusa's head, the terrifying Gorgon:
As for Amalthea's goat, it appears, accompanied by Jupiter, on an antoninianus of Valerian II:
OVID, Fasti, Book V: May 1: Kalends, The rising of the goat, ( 5, 111-128 ) : …" the ‘she-goat', rises: Placed in the sky for the gift of milk to him. Amalthea , the naiad, famous on Cretan Ida , hid Jupiter amongst the woods, they say. She owned a she-goat noted among the Dictaean flocks, with lofty horns curved over its back, the beautiful mother of two kids, with udders such as Jove's nurse should have. It gave milk to the god, but broke a horn on a tree, and was shorn of half its charm. The nymph lifted the horn, then wrapped it in fresh herbs, and carried it to Jove, full of fruit. When he'd gained the heavens, occupied his father's throne, and none was greater than unconquered Jove, he made his nurse a star, and her horn of plenty That still keeps its mistress' name, stars as well. "
Frederic Weber
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