Faustina I, AD 138-141. Roman AR denarius, 3.09 g, 18.0 mm, 12 h. Rome, AD 147-161. Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: CERES, Ceres seated left, holding corn ears and torch. Refs: RIC 379; BMCRE 464-465; RSC 141; RCV --; CRE 75.
Was $15 too much to pay for her? The other two were like $9 each. They spoke to me, so I jumped on em.
Reasonable prices for all three. The second coin is not a true VRBS ROMA, which was minted to celebrate the 1,100th anniversary of the founding on Rome. It's an VRBS ROMA/GLORIA EXERCITVS hybrid--a combination of a Roma obverse with a Two Soldiers reverse. These are much scarcer than the regular Roma coins. Nobody knows for sure why they were minted. Though scarce, there are far too many of them to have been a mistake (a mule). One possibility is that they were minted during the interregnum--the three-month period after the death of Constantine I, but before the ascension of his sons to co-Augusti. But, like I said, nobody really knows for sure. Anyway, it's a interesting coin, and well worth the $9 that you paid for it.
