Faustina's life was cut tragically short. She died in October or November of AD 140, at the age of 40, a mere two years after receiving the title of Augusta following her husband Antoninus Pius' assumption of the imperial purple in AD 138. Following her death, Pius issued an astonishingly large series of posthumous issues in her name, dwarfing the coinage produced in her lifetime. There are literally dozens of different reverse types in each denomination of these posthumous coins. In contrast, her lifetime issues are limited in scope and reverse types and are not nearly as commonly encountered in the market. Her lifetime issues are typically divided into three periods, characterized by different obverse legends. Gold and silver coins of the first issue, AD 138 bear the legend FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG, "Faustina, (wife) of Antoninus." Those of the second issue, AD 138-139 reflect Antoninus Pius' title of Pater Patriae, "Father of the Fatherland," and bear the inscription FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG P P. The issues of AD 139-140 bear the legend FAVSTINA AVGVSTA. The inscriptions on the aes coinage are even more limited; all reflect Pius' title of Pater Patriae and were issued from AD 138-140. They bear the inscriptions FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII P P or FAVSTINA AVG PII P P (on a single issue, RIC 1077b). Post your lifetime issues of Faustina I or anything you feel is relevant! Lifetime denarius: Faustina I, AD 138-140. Roman AR denarius, 3.40 g, 17 mm. Rome, AD 139-140. Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: CONCORDIA AVG, Concordia standing left, holding patera and double cornucopiae. Refs: RIC 335; BMCRE 133-135; Cohen/RSC 151; RCV 4668; UCR 199; CRE 93. Lifetime dupondius: Faustina Senior, AD 138-140. Roman orichalcum dupondius, 15.43 g, 28.5 mm, 5h. Rome, AD 139-140. Obv: FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: CONCORDIA AVG SC, Condordia standing left, holding patera and double cornucopiae. Refs: RIC 1088; BMCRE 1125; Cohen 152; RCV 4641 var. (no column). Notes: This is probably the middle bronze companion to the denarius above, depicting Concordia standing but not leaning on a column, issued AD 139-140. BMCRE4 incorrectly describes #1125 as depicting Concordia leaning on a column. However, the specimen is illustrated in plate 25, no. 2 and on the BMC website and there is no column. She leans on a column in BMCRE #1126, as seen on the BMC website. Therefore, BMCRE 1126 is likely the companion issue to an earlier denarius, BMCRE 42, also depicting Concordia leaning on a column but bearing the obverse inscription FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG P P, issued in AD 138-139. RIC and Cohen have separate listings for the middle bronze with the column (RIC 1089/Cohen 155) and without (RIC 1088/Cohen 152). Statue of Faustina I in the Capitoline Museum, Rome.
FAUSTINA Sr. (138-141 AD) AR Denarius Lifetime Issue O: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, Draped bust right. R: IVNONI REGINAE, Peacock seated on throne and scepter behind. 18mm 3.5g RIC-340, RSC-221 BMC (Antoninus Pius) 145 (same reverse die) Ex Robert Kutcher Collection (Triton X, 8 January 2007), lot 1606 (part of)
My lifetime Ceres As of Faustina I: Faustina I, Wife Of Antoninus Pius, AE As, Rome Mint, Struck 138-140 AD Obverse: [FAVSTINA] AVG ANTONINI AVG PII P P, Bust of Faustina I, draped, right, hair elaborately waved and coiled in bands across head and drawn up at back and piled in a round coil on top. Reverse: CERES, Ceres, standing left, holding corn-ears and torch, S-C across field. References: RIC III 1084, RCV II 4679, Cohen 140, BMC 1124 It was offered in AMCC Auction 1, but no buyers: https://www.biddr.ch/auctions/amcoinscanada/browse?a=407&l=398146
my favorite coin of her i have. orichalcum dupondius/As ..i may clean it up at some point in the future
Interesting post - I did not know about Faustina I's lifetime legend variations - thanks for pointing this out, Roman Collector. I have but one lifetime Faustina I - a rough denarius from eBay I was going to pass on until I figured out it was a lifetime issue. I'm glad I got it, as these don't turn up very often on the cheap: Faustina I the Elder Wife of Antoninus Pius (c. 138-141 A.D.) (Lifetime) Rome Mint - Denarius FAVSTINA AVGVSTA; draped bust right. / IVNONI REGINAE; throne, draped, sceptre against it; below peacock with tail spread. RIC 339a; RSC 219. (2.68 grams / 18 mm)
