Picked up my first Fausta Follis

After reading a number of cool CT posts on Fausta coins, I finally decided to pick up my first one. I like this coin's high relief portrait. The coin is from the Siscia Mint in modern day Croatia. I am sure to look for examples from other mints in the upcoming future.

Fausta, Augusta Follis; 325 AD.
(20 mm, 3.66 g, 6 h), Siscia, Δ = 4th officina.
Obv: FLAV MAX FAVSTA AVG Bare-headed and draped bust of Fausta to right. Rev: SPES REIPVBLICAE / ΔSIS(wreath). Fausta standing left, holding two children in arms.
RIC 197 (but unrecorded for officina Δ).
Nomos, October 2021.

 

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Beautiful portrait on it. Almost looks like an "eyes to heaven" type for Constantine.


Fausta (324-326 A.D)
AE3
O: FLAV MAX FAVSTA AVG Mantled bust right. Bare headed; waved hair drawn into a bun at the back.
R: SALVS REI-PVBLICAE Fausta standing facing, head left, holding Constantine II and Constantius II as babies.
STR dot-in-crescent
Trier
3.15g
19mm
RIC 483

 

Wow! Very cool style
Here's my old gal:

 

Very attractive coin, @happy_collector! Beautiful portrait.

Here's a Sirmium mint one.

Fausta, AD 324-326.
Roman billon centenionalis, 2.65 g, 20.2 mm, 6 h.
Sirmius, AD 324-25.
Obv: FLAV MAX FAVSTA AVG, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: SALVS REI-PVBLICAE, Fausta standing facing, head left, holding two children in her arms; SIRM in exergue.
Refs: RIC vii, p. 475, 55; LRBC I 810; Cohen 7; RCV 16549.

 

This one has an awful strike, but its otherwise decent. I like yours better.

 

Very nice coin OP I love the portrait. I don't really have anything related so heres my Faustina Denarius:

 

Thanks for showing your Fausta example. Nice coin.

Thanks, Ryro.

Thanks, RC. Your example has an interesting reverse design. Nice.

Yours is a decent example. Thanks for sharing.

Nice Faustina Senior denarius.

 

Here's one from Ticinum:

AE3
Ticinum mint, A.D. 326-328
Obv: FLAV MAX FAVSTA AVG
Rev: SPES REI-PVBLICAE - Spes, standing, facing left, holding two children in her arms.
S[crescent]T in exergue
RIC 203
18mm, 2.6g.

 

Beautiful details on it.
I have Thessalonica and Nicomedia:

 

It's interesting seeing examples from different mints. Often empresses are portrayed very differently by different mints, especially their hair styles. Yet on all the coins posted so far, Fausta is depicted with wavy hair pulled back in a bun. She must have had very distinctive hair.

 

Thanks for sharing your example from Ticinum.

Thanks for sharing your Fausta coins from Thessalonica and Nicomedia.

I agree with your observation.

 

I'm guessing that, for Fausta and Helena, there may have been busts provided for the mints to copy, same as for the emperor himself, since the consistency across mints does suggest that.

For Helena there are two distinct hairstyles, although some mints only used one. The earlier style is fairly plain, just swept back with a diadem, then replaced with a fancier one with some sort of braid-like thing running down the back of her head.

 

My Fausta is from the Alexandria mint. Same hairstyle as all the others!

Fausta (wife of Constantine I and daughter of Maximian), Billon reduced Centenionalis, Alexandria Mint (First Officina) 326 AD. Obv. Draped bust right, FLAV MAX FAVSTA AVG / Rev. Veiled Fausta standing facing, head left, holding two small children [representing Constantine II Caesar and Constantius II Caesar?]* in her arms, SPES REIP-VBLICAE; in exergue, SMALA [Alexandria, First Officina]. RIC VII Alexandria 40 (p. 709), Sear RCV IV 16582. 19 mm., 2.92 g. Ex. Dr. Frank Sternberg Collection, Sternberg I, Zurich, Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 1973, part of Lot 524 (catalogue p. 61).



* Sear argues (see Sear RCV V at p. 77) that the two children depicted were Constantius II and Constans, asserting that Constantine II was not Fausta’s son. This is a minority view.

 

Thanks for sharing your Fausta coin, Donna.
I notice a consistent hairstyle as compared to other mints.

 

Here is Fausta with different hairstyle. The reverse is of course from a different coin - however the two coins were found fused and one still can see the impression of Fausta's hair on the second coin.

 

Great coins everyone! If you're not aware of the mystery and intrigue behind the deaths of Fausta and Crispus, look it up - it adds a certain dark dimension.

 

That is an interesting fused up coin.

 

That's certainly some history and mystery on the two characters...

 

I have always been somewhat skeptical, because the story resembles so closely the legendary fate of Theseus's wife and son.

 

Just because Lugdunum has yet to be represented.....

@happy_collector - that Siscia example is superb.