A young Faustina II, when Pudicitia could be used without irony

This copper as of Faustina II bears her earliest obverse legend, FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL (for Faustina Augusta, daughter of Pius Augustus), and is dated by Strack to AD 147-149 and by Mattingly to AD 147-150. It was issued under the authority of her father, Antoninus Pius. Since Faustina II was born (probably) on September 21, AD 130, she would have been anywhere from 16 to 19 years of age when it was struck.

Pudicitia is typically depicted veiled and with a scepter or sacrificing over an altar. This is a rather unusual depiction of Pudicitia in that she lacks a scepter and is adjusting her clothing with both hands. I am unaware of Pudicitia being portrayed in this way on any other Roman issue.

Post your coins of Faustina II issued under the authority of her father, coins of Pudicitia, or anything you feel is relevant!


Faustina II, AD 147-175.
Roman Æ as, 9.50 g, 27.1 mm, 12 h.
Rome, AD 147-150.
Obv: FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL, Bust of Faustina II, draped, with band of pearls, right.
Rev: PVDICITIA S C, Pudicitia standing facing, head left, lifting veil from shoulders with both hands.
Refs: RIC 1403b, BMCRE 2157-58; Cohen 179 var. (no stephane); Strack 1301; RCV 4731; UCR 759; Dinsdale 029570.

Compare her portrait to this early bust at the Capitoline Museum:

 

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@Roman Collector.....Very nice coin I do like the portrait.
I have a denarius with almost the same obverse legend but missing the 'E' at the end of FAVSTINA my Latin is awful but for sure you know the difference in meaning? I assume this coin was still issued under her father?

Faustina II Junior Silver Denarius 3.36g.,17mm, Rome mint, A.D. 154-156,
Obverse. FAVSTINA AVG-PIIAVGFIL Draped bust of Faustina right,
Reverse. CONC-O-RDIA, Concordia seated left, holding flower & resting left arm on cornucopiae set on globe below seat.
(RCV 4704; RIC 502a)

 

I’ve always found these young portraits of Faustina II quite attractive. I bought this one 6 years ago at the London Coin Fair (on my birthday!).

FAUSTINA JR
AE As or Dupondius. 11.5g, 26mm. Rome mint, AD 147-150. RIC III (Pius) 1403; Sear 4731. O: FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL, diademed and draped bust right. R: PVDICITIA, Pudicitia standing left, holding out cloak in both hands; S-C in field.
Ex Seaby, June 1962 (price of 32s 6d noted on ticket)

 

Yes, the E at the end of Faustina indicates either the genitive case, "of Faustina" or the dative case, "for/to Faustina." Without the E, it's in the nominative case, or simply "Faustina." The inscriptions were used at different times. Yours is dated later than the as I illustrate above.

Strack (S) and Mattingly (M) each date the various issues of Faustina II on the basis of her titulature. In summary, their dates are as follows:

Issue 1. FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL; AD 147-149(S),147-150(M).
Issue 2. FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII FIL; AD 149-152(S), 150-152(M).
Issue 3. FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL; AD 152-156(S), 152-153(M).
Issue 4. FAVSTINA AVGVSTA AVG[VSTI] PII F[IL]; AD 152-156(S), 153-154(M).
Issue 5. FAVSTINA AVGVSTA with AVGVSTI PII FIL on the reverse; AD 156-161(S), 154-156 or 157(M).

That's a lovely coin, @Spaniard ! On the globe under her throne, you can see the crossed bands that represent the intersection of the zodiac (ecliptic) and the celestial equator. This “X” is called the equinoctial cross, and represents the spring and autumnal equinoxes (where the Sun crosses the celestial equator). It signified the belief in cosmic cycles of birth, death, and rebirth. Here is a neat article about this called "Symbolism of the Sphere" by Michael R. Molnar (from the June 1998 Celator).

My example is not nearly so nice:

Wow! What a beautiful birthday gift to yourself, @zumbly ! Yours is certainly less circulated than mine and you can see the young empress's hairstyle quite well. I think yours is almost certainly a dupondius because of the brassy highlights and its higher weight than mine.

 

It is not at all unusual for the first issues for a junior/female member of the Imperial family to be issued with dative legends "in the name of/for" rather that the standard nominative. The most unusual of this sort of thing was the Trajan coins marked in the dative 'TRAIANO' even though he was fully and without question the emperor.
Trajan as TRAIANO:


The young Commodus, just made Caesar, was introduced to the public in the Dative 'COMMODO'. In case anyone wondered, the legend included AVG FIL (filius = son).


It is not unusual for a Roman in power to delay taking some of his many titles for just a while rather like someone shuffling his feet and saying, "Aw, shucks." The old days of the Republic were long gone but making it appear that you were humbled by all those honors was still in style. Today we hear some politicians still saying how honored they are to be entrusted with the great office they are undertaking even though they just finished a knock down, drag out fight with opponents where no one admitted there was anyone for the job except for themselves. Coins were propaganda. They lacked TV ads back then.

 

@Roman Collector.....Thanks for the reply and breakdown really appreciated.
Found the link related to the globe very interesting great to learn something new........Thanks again

 

A denarius of the young Faustina II, issued under her father, bearing the same early obverse legend as the coin posted by @Roman Collector to begin this thread:

Faustina II [Junior] (wife of Marcus Aurelius & daughter of Antoninus Pius), AR Denarius, Rome mint, 147-149 AD (under Antoninus Pius). Obv. Draped bust right, single circlet of pearls around head, FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL / Venus standing left, holding apple in right hand and, in left hand, rudder set on dolphin, VENVS. RIC III [Antoninus] 517c, RSC II 266a, BMCRE [Antoninus] 1067. 18 mm., 3.45 g.

 

This one just came in the mail yesterday, part of an unattributed eBay lot. Well, it's not pretty, but I didn't see one in this thread, so this one's for you, RC - an early Faustina II Pudicitia sestertius issued by her dad:



Faustina II Æ Sestertius
(c. 147-150 A.D.)
Rome Mint
FAVSTINAE AVG PII [AVG FIL], draped bust right / [PVDICITIA], Pudicitia seated
left, drawing out veil with right hand, left hand in lap, S C in field.
RIC 1381; BMCRE 2143.
(26.33 grams / 29 x 27 mm)

 

Excellent! I do not have an example in my collection.

 

I am not familiar with PUDICITIA. Mine is veiled, but she does not look as if she is sacrificing or with a scepter. Although she is veiled.

Curious of your comments. She is NOT on a Faustina coin, rather Lucilla. Thanks.


RI Lucilla 164-182 CE, issued 164 CE, 3rd Hairstyle
AR Denarius 18mm 2.8g
Rome mint 164-169 CE
Pudicitia, arranging robe across chest.
RIC III 780
[EDITED]

 

That was issued in AD 164, after her marriage to Verus, and depicts her third hairstyle. Pudicitia comes in two slight design variations on that coin: hand is either arranging drapery on right shoulder, or across breast. Yours is the across breast variety.

 

Thank you. Edited above

 

Faustina II (Augusta)
Coin: Brass Sestertius
FAVSTINA AVGVSTA - Draped bust right
AVGVSTI PII FIL, S-C - Concordia standing left, holding patera and cornucopiae.
Exergue:



Mint: Rome (c.145-146 AD)
Wt./Size/Axis: 29.20g / 32mm / 12h
Rarity: Scarce
References:
RIC III 1390v-As
Acquisition/Sale: indalocolecciones eBay $0.00 02/19
Notes: Mar 14, 20 - The Gary R. Wilson Collection

Lifetime portrait struck under her father Antoninus Pius.

FAVSTINA AVGVSTA=Faustina Augusta
AVGVSTI PII FIL=daughter of Pius Augustus

 

In celebration of @Roman Collector and his terrific Faustina Fridays, and Fridays in general, I am resurrecting this thread - also because I just got another seated Pudicitia type for Faustina II. This one is an as (or dupondius; but I am pretty sure it is an as). She wears a stephane here:


Faustina II Æ As
(c. 147-150 A.D.)
Rome Mint
[FAVSTIN]AE AVG PII AVG FIL, draped bust right w. stephane / [PVDICITIA], S C, Pudicitia seated left, drawing out veil with right hand, left hand at side.
RIC III Antoninus Pius 1404c (as); Cohen 187; BMC 2159.
(7.54 grams / 23 x 21 mm)
eBay May 2022

Here it is with the sestertius I posted above - I never said they were pretty, but they do seem to be a somewhat scarce type :

 

Very cool, @Marsyas Mike! That type with the stephane is quite scarce indeed! The British Museum does not have one in their collection. Strack cites examples in Paris (BnF), Bologna (Museo Communale), and Naples (Nationalmuseum). None at OCRE. One sold by CNG, another at NAC. The stephaned bust is known only in the middle bronze denomination, not in the sestertius.

Here's the CNG example.



I only have the version where she wears a strand of pearls in her hair:

 

Here is my bronze example with Pudicitia.

 

Thank you for the kind words and those lovely examples, @Roman Collector - I will add these to my files for sure.

 

That is really a very lovely coin @happy_collector - both the portrait and the graceful rendition of Pudicitia on the reverse are spectacular. Nice colors too. Thanks for sharing that beauty.

 

Roman Egypt, Alexandria. Faustina II, AD. Billon Tetradrachm (22mm, 13.69g). Dated RY 17 of Antoninus (AD 153/154). Obv: FAVCTINA CEBACCTH; Draped bust right. Rev: LIZ around Diakaosyne seated left holding scales and cornucopiae Ref: Köln 1969. About Very Fine.