I do not usually buy coins featuring women.. not a fixed rule or anything - just the way its worked out as far as my collection goes. Perhaps its due to the fact that I'm Canadian and look at the queen on coins way too often... like waaaay tooo often. Uugh! Anyway - I have been interested in purchasing this type for awhile. I have two daughters that are 18 months apart.. and while they are much older now, I know that my wife's best memories are of her holding the two at once. FLAV MAX - FAVSTA AVG, draped bust right hair waved, bun at back, wearing pearl necklace; reverse SPES REIP-VBLICAE, Fausta standing facing, looking left, holding infants Constantine II and Constantius II So this one was available at a good price.. and you can't go wrong with an ex-Doug Smith, right?? The coin arrived today - and my wife really loves it! She generally shows no interest in my weird ancient coin hobby. So this is really nice. She wants me to get a better photo of the reverse so we can frame and place in our living room.. this is a first! Awesome. Just make sure that no one mentions Fausta's murder .. OK... work with me! If she gets a whiff of that I will be back to square one! Please show your coins of Fausta, any ex-Doug Smith or any coin that perked the interest of your better half.
I have an anepigraphic reverse for Fausta-- Fausta. Augusta, AD 324-326. Æ Follis (18.5mm, 3.11 g, 6h). Thessalonica mint. Struck AD 318-319. FAVSTA N F -- Draped bust right / Eight-rayed star within wreath. RIC VII 51; LRBC 824.
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
I have never found ex. Doug Smith coins all that desirable. Over the years, I have had piles and piles of them. The Heraclea was ex. Dan Clark, June 1995 and came in third due to the granular surfaces. Late Roman coins do not hold the interest I once had for them so more of them went to John Anthony for sale in his CT auctions. Now I am down to two Faustas. London - I bought this one from a dealer who had two London mint Faustas. The other one was four times the price of this one and was flat struck in the opposite direction so it had the mint mark and obvers hair clear but was missing the head of the reverse figure and detail in the bust drapery of the portrait. I paid to much for this one but I thought the other one was absurd. Siscia - the same dealer on the same day had this one for half the price of the London coin. I rather wish I had not bought the London but the Siscia is pleasing to me.
Great new coin @Clavdivs! Your reverse and story are special What's wrong with redru....Oh my God! What a bizarre son cuckold father, father behead son... then a year later boil wife alive story. Don't worry though, I won't mention it Here are my two:
Awesome coins! Yep - exactly - wife is very happy with the "mom holding two lovely babies" pic - not knowing that "The Shining" is just around the corner..... Sometimes it's important to remember that our "heroes" - that we love to collect (male and female) were actually really terrible people. I regularly chuckle at the descriptions from the Frank Robinson auctions - he is very witty .. and if I recall (very recently) sometimes found offensive(?).. to some - not me. But really he's great. This was my favorite - don't know if I have it exactly correct but it showed this coin type (this is not mine - image from Google) "There are many rats depicted on ancient coins.. this one shows an actual rat"..
That's a nice new addition, @Clavdivs ! The two coins below both came from AMCC 2. The first one is my only Fausta. The picture doesn't really do it justice: Fausta, Roman Empire, AE3, 326 AD, Trier mint. Obv: FLAV MAX FAVSTA AVG; bust of Fausta, waved hair, mantled, r. Rev: SPES REIPVBLICAE; Spes, veiled, draped, standing front, head l., holding two children in her arms; in exergue, PTR-crescent. 20mm, 3.55g. Ref: RIC VII Treveri 484. Ex JB collection; ex AMCC 2, lot 503. The second one is ex @dougsmit . I do believe the lovely picture, which I took from the auction listing, is his, too: Constantine I, Roman Empire, AE 3, 328–329 AD, Siscia mint. Obv: CONSTANTINVS MAX AVG, bust of Constantine I, rosette.diademed, draped and cuirassed, r. Rev: PROVIDENTIAE AVGG; "camp gate" with two turrets, star above; in exergue, ΓSIS-crescent. 19mm, 3.5g. Ref: RIC VII Siscia 215. Ex Colosseum (1992); ex Doug Smith collection; ex AMCC 2, lot 496.
Congrats on your empress, daughters, and weird ancient coin hobby Here's another Fausta for the collection. Fausta, Augusta, AD 324-326, Æ Follis, Cyzicus mint, 1st officina, struck AD 325-326 Obv: FLAV MAX - FAVSTA AVG, Bareheaded and mantled bust right Rev: SPES REIPVBLICAE, Fausta standing left, holding two children in her arms; SMKA Ref: RIC VII 29
