TGIFF, everybody! Today we’ll be talking about a wedding! Here's some Mendelssohn to get you in the mood. Of course, we're not talking about just any wedding, but the marriage of Faustina the Younger to her biological cousin and stepbrother, Marcus Aurelius, which took place in March or May AD 145 at the monument to Concordia in Ostia.[1] This monument had been constructed in response to a senatorial decree within three weeks of Faustina the Elder's death in AD 140.[2] As part of the marriage celebration, vows were undertaken on behalf of the people, first in the name of Marcus Aurelius and then in the name of the deified Faustina I.[3] Coins were struck in gold and bronze with the legend VOTA PVBLICA (vows on behalf of the public) to commemorate these vows.[4] I have recently acquired one of these elusive coins for my numophylacium. Marcus Aurelius, Caesar AD 139-161. Roman Æ as or dupondius, 8.74 g, 25.0 mm, 11 h. Rome, AD 145. Obv: AVRELIVS CAESAR AVG PII F COS, bare head, right. Rev: VOTA PVBLICA S C, Faustina Junior, on left, and Marcus Aurelius, on right, standing facing each other, clasping right hands; Concordia standing facing between them, her head turned to left. Refs: RIC 1269; BMCRE 1801-02; Cohen 1023; Strack 957; RCV 4851. Mine's not exactly FDC,[5] if you know what I mean, so I'll illustrate the corresponding aureus in the British Museum. Aureus of Marcus Aurelius, BMCRE 611. British Museum collection. Concordia, here in the context of marital harmony, was an important virtue in Roman marriage, and many coins were issued to honor Concordia in this way. I have written about this in a previous installment of Faustina Friday. Faustina's wedding was celebrated not only with these public vows, but with all sorts of pomp, including distributions of grain and money to the people, games opening on 13 May, and an important donative (congiarium) to the soldiers.[6] The donatives almost certainly included a contribution to the Puellae Faustinianae ("Girls of Faustina"), a charitable organization established by Antoninus Pius in honor of his late wife, the Empress Faustina I. Die-linkage studies have established the aurei of Faustina I with the PVELLAE FAVSTINIANAE reverse type were issued simultaneously with other coins struck in commemoration of the wedding of Marcus Aurelius to Faustina II.[7] The Historia Augusta, in addition to noting a donative to the soldiers, tells of a donative to the people at large.[8] Such a congiarium is recorded on coins of Pius dated to AD 145, which show Pius and Liberalitas on a platform distributing coins to a togate male. Tablet Pa of the Fasti Ostienses,[9] which chronicles the events of the year AD 145 reads: [---]as Annia Faustina M. Aurelio Caesari nupsit. [--- [imp. A]ntoninus Aug. congiar(ium) dedit (denarios) C. III id. Mai dies promi[ssos] [---ed]ere coepit. VII et VI k. Iul. ludi Taurei quinquennales [facti] [in] circo Flaminio. Which is translated[10]: [On an unknown day] Annia Faustina married Marcus Aurelius Caesar. Imperator Antoninus Augustus gave a congiarium of 100 denarii. On May 13 he began to give the [unknown number of] days of games which had been promised. On June 25 and 26 the ludi Taurei were held in the Circus Flaminius. Do you have any coins celebrating imperial weddings? Please post comments and any coins you feel are relevant! ~~~ Notes 1. Levick, Barbara. Faustina I and II: Imperial Women of the Golden Age. Oxford University Press, 2014, pp. 100. 2. Levick, op. cit., p. 99, citing Weiss, P. "Die vorbildliche Kaiserehe. Zwei Senatsbeschlüsse beim Tod der älteren und der jüngeren Faustina, neue Paradigmen und die Herausbildung des 'antoninischen' Prinzipats". Chiron 38 (2008), pp. 8-9. 3. Levick, op. cit., p. 100, citing the Historia Augusta (Pius) 8.1, 10.2. 4. Beckmann M. "Intra-family Die Links in the Antonine Mint at Rome." Numismatic Chronicle 169 (2009), pp. 208-210. See also Beckmann, Martin. Diva Faustina: Coinage and Cult in Rome and the Provinces. American Numismatic Society, 2012, pp. 52-53. 5. Laugh all you want, but the few extant examples in European museum collections don't score high on the Sheldon scale, either. 6. Levick, op. cit., p. 101, citing the Historia Augusta (Pius) 10.2, (Marcus) 6.6, and Fasti Ostienses 13.1.205 about the marriage; about the donative, she cites Van Berchem, D. Les distributions d blé d’argent à la plebe romaine sous l’Empire. Geneva: Université de Genève, 1939 (repr. New York: Arno, 1975), p. 155. 7. Beckmann (2012), op. cit., pp. 53-55. 8. Historia Augusta (Pius) 8.1, cited in Beckmann (2012), op. cit., p. 55. 9. Vidman, Ladislav. Fasti Ostienses. Ceskoslovenska Akademie Ved, 1982, p. 125; cited in Beckmann (2012), op. cit., pp. 51-52. 10. Beckmann (2012), op. cit., p. 52.
Nice addition RC, it may be a little rough but the style is good and it shows everything that needs to be shown to illustrate the historical relevance.
Nice addition @Roman Collector ...I do like the younger portraits of Aurelius.. Here's one from his father in law... Antoninus Pius (AD 138-161) AR denarius, struck AD 145-161. Rome mint. Ob..ANTONINVS AVG PIVS PP,(Antoninus Augustus Pius Father of the people) laureate head right Rev..TR POT COS IIII,(Tribune of the people 4 times Consul) Liberalitas standing left, holding abacus and cornucopiae, LIB IIII across the fields. RIC #155 type 1 This coin commemorates Pius' fourth largesse distributed to celebrate the marriage of his daughter Faustina II and Marcus Aurelius Caesar in spring 145 AD
Thank you for the kind words! It's not about condition or investment potential; it's about history! I'm definitely a "type 1" collector!
Nothing to laugh at this coin. Strong portrait, interesting and uncommon reverse, plenty of details. I would have it my collection without any doubt. Probably it had BD in the past but the treatment was successful.
Oh, me too for sure. You've seen some of the ugly rotters my collection proudly holds haha. I think something that was missed in that podcast, understandably considering the fact that it is by a high end auctioneer, is the fact that there is a lot of potential to make profits as a 'type 1' collector, because to be a good collector in more specialised areas than 'high quality, desirable coins' requires a lot of historical and technical knowledge which enables those sorts of collectors to quickly spot things that others would miss. That, however, mostly requires digging through ebay or smaller sellers, not keeping up to date on large auctions. Edit: and I missed the main point. It's also far more likely that this imaginary 'type 1' collector would never actually go on to sell the item which they got as bargain pickup, because the reason they got it in the first place is because it fits in their specialist area/s of interest.
Great post as always, @Roman Collector - I'm especially excited about this post because I've been working on some Antoninus Pius Liberalitas issues, 4th and 5th congiarium/donative. As noted above, the 4th seems to have been the wedding of Faustina II to Marcus Aurelius: Similar to the attractive denarius posted by @Spaniard this one has Liberalitas also holding a vexillum - showing that largess was distributed to both citizens and soldiers. Antoninus Pius Denarius (c. 145-147 A.D.) See note. Rome Mint ANTONINVS AVG [PIVS PP] laureate head right / TR PO-T [COS II]II around, LIB IIII in exergue, Liberalitas standing facing, head left, holding vexillum and cornucopiae. RIC 156; BMC 574; RSC 490. (3.30 grams / 16 mm) eBay May 2019 Note: "This coin commemorates Antoninus Pius’ 4th congiarium...It is believed that this particular distribution was in celebration of the marriage of Marcus Aurelius to Faustina Jr. in the spring of 145 AD...each citizen was given 90 denarii (or 3 aurei, 15 denarii) and a special additional donative was given to the soldiers." Colosseo Collection (describing this aureus, which is stunning): https://www.colosseocollection.com/p554191514/hBBF9B348#hbbf9b348
What an EXCELLENT coin! And great write up as always RC: Here the little lady is flanked by children on my latest Faustina II: And here he is as a young lad:
Wonderful post, @Roman Collector! First comes love, then comes marriage (or perhaps the reverse in this case), then comes Faustina with a baby carriage (or several of them): Plautilla (wife of Caracalla; issued under Septimius Severus), AR Denarius, 203-204 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Draped bust right, hair in horizontal waves and drawn into large bun at back, PLAVTILLAE AVGVSTAE / Rev. Caracalla standing left, holding volumen with left hand and clasping right hands with Plautilla standing right, PROPAGO IMPERI. Short hairline flan crack. RIC IV (Caracalla) 362, RSC III (Plautilla) 21, Sear RCV II 7073 (ill.). 18 mm., 3.30 g., 6 h. [First appearance of reverse legend PROPAGO IMPERI, celebrating the hoped-for continuation of the Severan house through the union of Caracalla and Plautilla. Cf. RIC IV 367, showing Pietas (representing Plautilla) on reverse holding child, believed to have been issued to celebrate the 204 AD birth of child who died in infancy.] Sallustia Orbiana (wife of Severus Alexander) AR Denarius 225-227 AD. Rome mint. Special marriage emission of Severus Alexander, AD 225. Obv: SALL BARBIA ORBIANA AVG, Draped bust right, wearing stephane/ Rev: CONCORDIA AVGG, Concordia seated left, holding patera and double cornucopiae. RIC IV-2 319 (Sev. Alexander); RSC III 1, BMCRE 287 (Sev. Alexander). 19 mm., 3.5 g. Rare. Gordian III AR Denarius, 241-242 AD, Rome mint. Obv. Laureate, draped, & cuirassed bust right, IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG / Rev. Diana standing facing, head right, holding flaming long torch right with both hands, DIANA LVCIFERA. RIC IV-3 127, RSC IV 69, Sear RCV III 8673 (ill.). 20 mm., 2.7 g., 6 h. (Issued in celebration of marriage of Gordian & Tranquillina, 241 AD. See Sear RCV III 8673 at p. 123.)
Donna, Gordian's DIANA LVCIFERA type was struck in 240, however, so had nothing to do with his marriage to Tranquillina, which didn't take place until a year later, in 241. Of course you and Sear are just following Mattingly, who in RIC (1949), p. 11, took over from Voetter this erroneous dating of Gordian's denarius issue ("Special Marriage Issue of A.D. 141").
Thanks. I must say I did wonder what Diana Lucifera -- as opposed to, say, Concordia -- has to do with marriage or marital harmony.
Nice addition and another wonderful post, @Roman Collector! Imagine someone holding your coin 2,000 years ago, witnessing the wedding ceremony live in person.
as a fan of your posts i was wondering if you would share your personal favorite faustina II coin portrait, and was also curious what you think her best denarius reverse is
I think this LAETITIA sestertius has a lovely portrait. The empress is mature, about 32 or 33 years of age, and very regal in her stephane. The portrait is of unusually fine style and captures the empress's strength and beauty. Faustina II, AD 147-175. Roman orichalcum sestertius, 24.80 g, 32.6 mm, 6 h. Rome, late AD 162 – early 163. Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, draped bust right, wearing stephane. Rev: LAETITIA S C, Laetitia standing left, holding wreath and scepter. Refs: RIC 1653; BMCRE 928; Cohen 150; RCV 5279 var. (bust); MIR 21-6/10b diad. In terms of denarius reverse types, my favorite is this scarce VENVS FELIX type, where the goddess holds a statuette of the three graces. I have two examples, one with the empress's type 9 hairstyle, and other with the empress's type 10 hairstyle. Faustina Jr, Augusta AD 147-175. Roman AR Denarius, 3.18 g, 18.2 mm, 6 h. Rome, AD 170-175. Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right, with Beckmann type 9 hairstyle. Rev: VENVS FELIX, Venus seated left, holding small statuary group of the three graces and scepter. Refs: RIC 731 var.; BMC p. 407* accession no. 1982,0202.7; Temeryazev & Makarenko 240; Staal p. 142, p. 169. Faustina Jr, Augusta AD 147-175. Roman AR Denarius, 3.07 g, 17.6 mm, 6 h. Rome, AD 170-175. Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right, with Beckmann type 10 hairstyle. Rev: VENVS FELIX, Venus seated left, holding small statuary group of the three graces and scepter. Refs: RIC 731 var.; BMC p. 407* accession no. 1982,0202.7; Temeryazev & Makarenko 240; Staal p. 142, p. 169.
