Recent Pickup of Faustina Junior Denarius with young lady portrait.

I have a couple of Faustina Junior coins with the legend "FAVSTINA AVGVSTA", and for quite awhile I have been on a lookout for a young lady portrait with the legend "FAVSTINAE". So glad I finally found one. It is a common type, but somehow I have no luck finding a decent example until recently. I think this type is RIC III 517c. Or maybe not, as I saw some 517c examples with thinner wavy hair. Need to check with the latest Faustina Junior book. The book just arrived an hour ago, and I haven't opened the package yet.


Please share some of your Faustina Junior coins with young portraits. I do love to see them! Thanks!

 

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Stunning portrait!
@Roman Collector will just hate it
Here are a couple of bronzes of her:

 

That is absolutely delightful, @happy_collector! That portrait is certainly in fine style, too!

Your denarius was part of a massive second issue for Faustina in mid-148 through May, 149. The first issue was more limited in scope, though it included three reverse types: VENVS GENETRIX, LAETITAE PVBLICAE, and IVNONI LVCINAE, all to celebrate the birth of Faustina's first child, Domitia Faustina on 30 November, AD 147. The VENVS with rudder and dolphin was issued in all medals.

Numerous dies struck the issue. Over the course of the issue, the hairstyle becomes simplified, as on my less-than-fine style example:


Faustina II, AD 147-175/6.
Roman AR denarius, 2.64 g, 17.4 mm, 7 h.
Rome, AD 148-149.
Obv: FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL, bust of Faustina II, draped, right, with band of pearls round head.
Rev: VENVS, Venus, standing left, holding apple or globe in right hand and rudder around which is twined a dolphin in left hand.
Refs: RIC 517c; BMCRE 1067-73; RSC 266a; Strack 495; RCV 4708; CRE 233.

Here it is in the middle bronze denomination; it also appears in the sestertius and aureus denominations, though I don't have examples of these in my collection.


Faustina II, AD 147-175/6.
Roman orichalcum dupondius, 14.77 g, 26.5 mm, 12 h.
Rome, AD 148-149.
Obv: FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL, draped bust right with strand of pearls.
Rev: VENVS S C, Venus standing left, holding apple and rudder, around the shaft of which a dolphin is entwined.
Refs: RIC 1409b; BMCRE 2160-63; Cohen 269; Strack 1305; RCV 4736.


Faustina II, AD 147-175/6.
Roman Æ as or dupondius, 13.8 g, 27.2 mm, 12 h.
Rome, AD 148-149.
Obv: FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL, draped bust right with strand of pearls.
Rev: VENVS S C, Venus standing left, holding apple and rudder, around the shaft of which a dolphin is entwined.
Refs: RIC 1409b; BMCRE 2160-63; Cohen 269; Strack 1305; RCV 4736.

 

Nice bronzes!

Nice coins, Bing. The denarius with two Faustina's children on the throne is one of my favorite Faustina coin types.

 

Thank you. It is one of my favorites was well.

 

Thanks for your additional info, RC. I find your "pearls around head" denarius particularly interesting. I think I have seen a gold coin example of this design somewhere, but not a denarius version. Guess it could be a rare type.

 

A lovely portrait! Out of all my Faustina II's, I have only one truly youthful portrait -- it's not in great condition, especially the reverse, but I really wanted a portrait with that look..

 

Thanks, Donna. Your denarius has a really great youthful portrait.

 

My 517C


With an elaborate explanation from @Roman Collector here
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/qu...r-venus-reverse-denarius.378848/#post-7400515

 

my favourite:

 

A very fine portrait indeed! Here is another, darkly toned, example of the opening coin type.

 

The double break in the obv. legend is unusual,

FAVSTINAE - AVG - PII AVG FIL.

 

Note AVGVSTA is spelled out here but the usual FIL was cut to just F:


I enjoy a trivial point that also stemmed from her dual role as daughter and wife at Alexandria. Coins dated years 11 to 24 use the Pius regnal years while those with years 2 to 10 use the Aurelius years. The coins of the changeover period are a bit more scarce but the oldest portrait is dated year 10 while the youngest is year 11. I do not have the extremes but my year 12 shows a young face of Alexandrian Faustina II. I would love to have an Alexandrian year 10 (or any using Aurelius dating) to illustrate that point.

 

Nice 517c. Thanks for your CT link also.

 

A nice coin. I like the reverse design, and hope to get an example with 4 children and another with 2. I already have a sestertius with 6 in the reverse.

 

Yours is a nice example! A lot of details on both sides. Thanks for sharing.

 

Nice examples, Doug. Your first denarius has a hairstyle design that I like. I have both an As and sestertius version of it. I hope to pickup a denarius example in the near future to form a little "hairstyle set".


Your Alexandrian Faustina II has great design with lovely young lady portrait. Thanks for sharing.

 

That one has really lovely style! I really like the style on yours too, @DonnaML.

It seems like quite a few of us have sought out those charming youthful portraits - and I agree they're not easy to come by at reasonable prices. As a result I took a chance on a badly photographed example in an auction. Here's the auction photo:

And here's mine:

Personally I think the risk paid off!

I think some of the best portraits of her are found on the first issue, especially in gold.

Such great style on this one, RC! I know @zumbly has a nice one of these too. Jealous of you both!

 

I agree your risk paid off nicely! Your denarius is a great example with a very charming portrait. Thanks for sharing.