When CT members cooperate in numismatic research -- a mysterious AE of Diva Faustina I

It's amazing what we can do when we work together!



This is demonstrated by the collaborative research presented in this thread.

The middle bronze of Faustina I with the obverse inscription DIVA FAVSTINA and a bare-headed bust combined with the reverse type AVGVSTA S C, Vesta standing left, holding palladium and scepter (RIC 1179) is scarce but not unobtainable.

Faustina I, AD 138-140.
Roman Æ as or dupondius, 10.37 g, 25.4 mm, 5 h.
Rome, AD 145.
Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: AVGVSTA S C, Vesta veiled, standing left, holding palladium and scepter.
Refs: RIC 1179; BMCRE 1582; Cohen 111; Strack 1294; RCV --.​

A few years ago, an example of this coin surfaced with a veiled bust, which @Orielensis acquired for his collection.

Middle bronze acquired by Orielensis, 9.05 g, 27 mm.​

He was unable to attribute it because it was unlisted in RIC. He posted it here because its identity was a mystery and wondered if it should be considered an unpublished variant or a mule. In reply, I consulted other references (BMCRE4, Cohen, Sear, and Strack) and performed an internet search of specimens from various museum collections at OCRE and those at The Coin Project and Wildwinds. A search at acsearchinfo yielded no examples with veiled busts, either.

The question continued to puzzle Orielensis and he posted again early last year, citing his lack of progress at attributing the coin. I again performed an internet search and noted my friend Paul Dinsdale, (@paulus_dinius) who maintains a very complete database of Antonine coins, made no mention of a veiled bust variant in his catalog.[1] Orielensis and I contacted Paul and he confirmed he had never encountered the coin previously and he added it to his book, citing Orielensis' specimen.[2]

Later this year, a second specimen surfaced when it was consigned to AAMC Auction 3 (24 July, 2021) as lot 219. It had been previously part of the JB collection and "purchased in Toronto, Fall 1999." The auctioneer (@Severus Alexander) noted that he knew "of one other example in a private collection, which is the coin referenced by Dinsdale" (Orielensis' example). I had the good fortune of being the high bidder and acquired the coin for my own collection.

The specimen in my collection, 9.03 g, 24.4 mm, 5 h.​

I suspected the two coins were struck with the same obverse die and I asked @TIF for her opinion. She was kind enough to create an animated overlay of the busts and most legible parts of the inscription shared by both specimens, which demonstrated they are indeed obverse die matches. Thank you, TIF!!



But note the coins are not reverse die matches (compare the position of Vesta's hand and Palladium relative to the G in AVGVSTA, for example). This argues against the coin being an accidental mule of the reverse die with an obverse die intended for another issue. Moreover, I have attempted to find an obverse die match with other middle bronzes issued at around the same time.

We know from Martin Beckmann's die-linkage studies of the aurei and sestertii of Diva Faustina I that the coin was issued sometime after AD 145 but before AD 147, probably in conjunction with the wedding of Marcus Aurelius to Faustina II in AD 145.[3] All coins of this period struck in the middle bronze denomination bear the obverse inscription DIVA FAVSTINA and the reverse inscription AVGVSTA S C. This allowed me to take an inventory of coins that may have been struck contemporaneously with the coin in question that are known with a veiled bust type. Were Orielensis' and my coins mules of a Vesta reverse type with an obverse type intended for a different issue, it would have to be an obverse intended for one of these in the inventory. The possibilities are limited to:

• RIC 1169b, AVGVSTA S C, Ceres, veiled, standing l. holding corn-ears and long torch.
• BMC 1567 (unlisted in RIC with a short torch), AVGVSTA S C, Ceres, veiled, standing l. holding corn-ears and short torch.
• RIC 1171b, AVGVSTA S C, Ceres, veiled, standing l., holding short torch and corn-ears.
• RIC 1173b, AVGVSTA S C, Ceres, veiled, standing l., holding short torch and scepter.

A search at acsearchinfo, OCRE, and Wildwinds identifies no obverse die matches to our coins. Ruling out die matches was easy; all of the online specimens of the candidates in the inventory have the inscriptional break DIVA FAV-STINA, whereas Orielensis' and my coins have the break DIVA-FAVSTINA. This further suggests our coins were not accidental mules, but purposeful types created with at least two different reverse dies and one obverse die.

I believe our coins are asses, not dupondii. The few high points on my specimen's surface appear more coppery than brassy. In addition, Orielensis' coin and mine weigh essentially the same (9.05 g and 9.03 g, respectively), more consistent with an as than a dupondius. Lastly, Orielensis' specimen is on a thin, raggedy flan, typical of an as.

Even though the discovery of a second example of this coin answers the question of whether it may have been a mule and what denomination it may have been, the larger question of why it appears with both bare-headed and veiled bust varieties remains unanswered. Indeed, many coins issued for Diva Faustina occur with both bare-headed and veiled versions of the bust. The purpose of this remains a mystery.

~~~

Notes:

1. Dinsdale, Paul H. Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius Caesar AD 138-161: Antonine Coinage. Leeds, Paul H Dinsdale, 2018.

2. Ibid., no. 021525, p. 259.

3. Beckmann, Martin. Diva Faustina: Coinage and Cult in Rome and the Provinces. American Numismatic Society, 2012, pp. 57-58.

 

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RC-- your tenacity and depth of research is, as always, amazing! Great job!!

 

I was going to ask if you'd done that. I took a very cursory look in ACsearch but it's a daunting task.

 

That's a good bit of detective work, and with one of TIF's wonders as well. Good stuff.

 

Amazing, just amazing !
Huge congrats on the job you've done.
Almost unique coins don't have to cost $$$$ to give a lot of fun !!!

Q

 

So true!!

Along those lines, I've been working on overlays for Doug's new Postumus double sestertius, trying to solve the puzzle of how it was made. Is it an example of the "team approach" to coin striking, with one obverse die (anvil) and two reverse dies (hammer)? Is it overstruck with a different obverse die? And other questions. Every time I think I've got it figured out another question has to be answered or another problem solved. Fun stuff .

 

THESE POSTS are my favorites! I love watching ancient mysteries unravel with research and shared knowledge.

 

Now, there's tea on my keyboard and screen !!

Q

 

I'm very glad that you won this coin, @Roman Collector! Now both known examples reside in the CT community, and the second one even with a true specialist. And that's great work on the obverse die match, @TIF !

It would be fascinating to see whether our coins show any reverse die matches with coins without the veiled bust. If so, that might be an indicator that an obverse die with a veiled bust somehow slipped into the die box used for the RIC 1179 issue.

I began searching for reverse matches, but haven't found anything yet.

Here is mine again:

Faustina “the Elder” (postumous), Roman Empire, As or Dupondius, Rome mint. Obv: DIVA FAVS[TINA], bust of Faustina, veiled, r. Rev: [A]VGUST[A], Vesta standing l., holding palladium and sceptre; in fields flanking, SC. 27mm, 9.05g.