Thanks to the work of Martin Beckmann,[1] we have been able to arrange the undated coinage of Faustina I in chronological order and, in many cases, assign a rough date of issue. Beckmann accomplished this by constructing a nearly complete sequence of die-linkages for the aurei, supported by additional shorter, but corroborative, die-linkages amongst the aurei and the sestertii. Moreover, by studying hybrids of dated coins of Antoninus Pius or Aurelius Caesar which bear Faustina's reverse types, and by studying the connections of issues to other dated events, he has been able to assign actual -- not just relative -- dates to certain issues. Faustina's coinage is divided into five main phases commencing with the deification and funeral of Faustina. The issue I discuss today belongs to the fifth and final of these, commencing in AD 150, for the tenth anniversary of Faustina’s death and deification. Because the corresponding aureus is part of Beckmann's die-linkage study, we are on firm ground in assigning a date of AD 150 to this issue, for die-linkage establishes this one as the first of the many AETERNITAS issues commemorating the death anniversary of the empress. These coins all bear the late obverse inscription DIVA FAVSTINA, which may appear as DIVA-FAVSTINA or DIVA FAV-STINA. The issue bears the reverse legend of AETERNITAS and depicts Fortuna holding a globe and rudder. Mattingly[2] rightfully clarifies that the coins of the large series of AETERNITAS reverse types issued for Faustina cannot be taken simply as the name of a goddess, Aeternitas. He explains: It is ... difficult to define the character of the figures associated with the legend. They may be regarded as varying representations of the spirit of Aeternitas with emblems borrowed from the goddesses and virtues who inhabit her sphere; or, as so many goddesses, Juno, Fortuna, and the rest; or as Diva Faustina, bearing the attributes of such goddesses in Eternity. The third probably comes nearest the the exact quality of Roman thought but, in the text, we have thought it best to define the types as far as possible by their attributes -- Juno by her sceptre and Fortuna by her rudder. Because the female figure on the reverse of these coins bears the attributes of Fortuna -- a globe and rudder -- she is identified by numismatists as Fortuna, although she appears together with the reverse inscription of AETERNITAS. Coins of this reverse type were issued in the aureus, denarius, sestertius, and middle bronze denominations. The coins appear with bare-headed, veiled, and veiled and stephaned portraits. Below are various examples from my own collection. Fortuna, the Roman counterpart of the Greek goddess Tyche, was the goddess of fortune and the personification of luck in Roman religion. Fortuna was capricious and might bring bring either good or bad luck. She was a central figure in Roman life. The Roman people adopted the goddess into their tutelaries and consecrated nearly thirty temples to her in the different districts of the city. Post your coins of Fortuna or anything you feel is relevant! Faustina Sr, AD 138-141. Roman AR denarius, 3.83 g, 18.2 mm. Rome, AD 150. Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA, draped bust, right. Rev: AETERNITAS, Fortuna standing left, holding globe and rudder. Refs: RIC 348; BMCRE 360; Cohen 6; Strack 451; RCV 4577. Note: Overstruck on an earlier issue, probably a CONCORDIA seated type of Sabina. Faustina Sr, AD 138-141. Roman AR denarius, 3.23 g, 18.6 mm, 6 h. Rome, AD 150. Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA, draped bust, right. Rev: AETERNITAS, Fortuna standing left, holding globe and rudder. Refs: RIC 348b; BMCRE 367; Cohen 7; Strack 451; RCV 4577 var. (bust). Faustina I, AD 138-141. Roman orichalcum sestertius, 24.12 g, 32.6 mm, 6 h. Rome, AD 150. Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA, Bust of Faustina I, draped and veiled, right. Rev: AETERNITAS S C, Fortuna, draped, standing left, holding globe on extended right hand and long rudder, vertical in left hand. Refs: RIC 1107b; BMCRE 1499-1500; Cohen 8; Strack 1267; RCV 4608 var. Notes: Obverse die-match to BMCRE 1499. Faustina I, AD 138-141. Roman orichalcum dupondius, 10.62 g, 28.1 mm, 7 h. Rome, AD 150. Obv: DIVA FAV-STINA, diademed, veiled and draped bust, right. Rev: AETER-NITAS S C, Fortuna standing left, holding globe and rudder. Refs: RIC 1160b; BMCRE4 1557 var. (bust); Cohen 9; Strack 1267; RCV 4640 var. (bust). ~~~ 1. Beckmann, Martin. Diva Faustina: Coinage and Cult in Rome and the Provinces. American Numismatic Society, 2012. 2. Mattingly, Harold, Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, vol. IV: Antoninus Pius to Commodus. Introduction, indexes and plates. London, BMP, 1968, p. lxii.
Fantastic writeup again! Unfortunately it doesn't seem I have any Faustina Fortunas, but here is a little group shot of Faustina with AETERNITAS legends: And, here is one that I already had prepped for Faustina (II) Friday... A "Junior" that I picked up from Artemide Aste last year because I though it was in such unusually fine style, the obverse especially. Also nicely toned: Coin-in-hand video here. Roman Imperial. Faustina II (Augusta, 161 – 175) AR Denarius (3.21g, 19mm). Rome Mint, temp. Marcus Aurelius (Augustus, 161 – 180), Lucius Verus (co-Augustus, 161 – 169). Obverse: FAUSTINA AVGVSTA. Draped bust right, gazing slightly upward. Reverse: HILARITAS. Hilaritas standing left, holding cornucopia and palm frond set on ground. Reference: RIC III Aurelius 686; RSC 111; Göbl MIR 18, Fa15-4/10b. Pedigree: Ex-Artemide Aste srl e-Auction 11, Lot 450 (San Marino, 26 January 2020). Notes: Fine style obverse die. Nick on Faustina's neck below jawline. Attractive iridescent tone. Flow lines. Slightly off-center obverse (~10% to 2h).
Great write-up as always, RC. I hope I'm not too far off-topic here, but the rudder on Roman coins is also used for Salus, so I just found out. This budget sestertius of Antoninus Pius just showed up the other day and here Salus feeds the usual snake-on-an-altar, but she also holds a rudder in her other arm. Most of these Salus types for Antoninus have the rudder balanced on a globe (like Providentia), but here she cradles it in her arms, no globe. Antoninus Pius Æ Sestertius (c. 145-147 A.D.) Rome Mint ANTONINVS AVG PIVS PP TR [P], laureate head right / COS I[II]I, S-C, Salus standing left, feeding serpent arising from altar with patera and holding upright rudder RIC III 761; Cohen 282. (23.12 grams / 31 mm)
I cannot find any torches for Antoninus Pius AEs with the altar and snake (and therefore presumably Salus). RIC 761 is fairly common (rudder) and I just can't find anything else closer. Here is OCRE: http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.3.ant.761 Here is acsearch: https://www.acsearch.info/search.ht...s=1&thesaurus=1&order=0¤cy=usd&company=
Mike's sestertius with Salus clearly holding an upside down rudder in her lowered l. arm: Strack pl. XII, 979. That's also the case on many of the ACSearch examples that Mike links to. So it seems probable that on Mike's coin too a rudder not a torch was intended.
