Picked up another Aureus yesterday....

AV Aureus ND Rome Mint
Faustina the Elder 138-61AD (Wife of A. Pius)

obv. DIVA FAVSTINA
Empress facing right
rev. AVGVSTA
Ceres standing left

I debated between her and that Sasanian Dinar from Khusro II/ picked her.

 

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You picked her, and frankly it was the right choice. It is a beautiful portrait of Faustina in gold.

 

The coin is simply divine.

 

Very Nice!

 

Spectacular @panzerman !!!!

 

I promised you that I would try to get a Roman coin!
John

 

That's a gorgeous coin, @panzerman !

Ceres, when depicted with a lighted torch in each hand so as to search for her daughter in the underworld, is known as Ceres Taedifera, "Ceres the torch-bearer."

The reverse type was not issued in the denarius denomination for Faustina I, but it appears on sestertii. Here are a couple of mine. Ceres Taedifera with two torches:




Faustina Senior, Augusta AD 138-141.
Roman orichalcum sestertii.
Rome, AD 147-161.
Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: AVGVSTA, Ceres standing left, holding two torches.
Refs: RIC 1120; BMCRE 1516; RCV 4625.

 

What a great coin @panzerman ! Nice pick up and a neat new addition to your collection.

 

Another excellent addition Panza.

 

Übercoin, Panz!

 

good choice!

 

Very nice, I have to say you made the right choice!

 

Didn't you already have that same type? I recall you indicating that you didn't trade for the exact coin pictured in that thread but was it the same type?

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/been-swapping-butterflies-all-day-got-an-empress.294173/

 

Its the same Empress. But this is the common type with AVGVSTA on reverse/ with Goddess Ceres. The price on this one was right! Could not resist getting her.
John

 

You know, @panzerman , that Saturnalia is approaching and there's a certain Faustina I enthusiast who might appreciate such a thing ...

 

Excellent coin @panzerman

You might want to know about a very interesting book about the gold coinage dedicated to Diva Faustina : "Diva Faustina - Coinage and cult in Rome and the provinces" by Martin Beckmann including a die study and a comprehensive description of all known specimens

Q

 

I guess I did well. The same coin sold for 12K Swiss francs in Numismatika Genevensis auction. I got my piece for 4K MDC/Monaco auction.

 

Your coin is indeed nice although the NGSA coin is of a noticeably higher grade which is why it is more expensive. Look at the obverse ear detail and reverse detail on the NGSA piece: it's essentially unworn, conventionally mint state vs the MDC coin below which would probably be graded "about EF".

 

It's a gorgeous coin no matter how you slice it, Pman, but when you say "the same coin sold for..." it means the same coin you now own, which is not true in this instance. The MDC coin is higher grade, and we all know how each ancient coin is inherently different due to strike, die state, preservation, etc, and how at the upper end of things small differences in quality can make a huge difference in price.

 

Fantastic! Great portrait and I agree you picked right.