Antonine coins in a cool 18th century engraving!

I happened to come across a reproduction of this illustration while doing some Faustina research and think it's really cool!

Do you have any of the coins depicted in this engraving? Let's see them!


Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Colonna eretta in memoria dell'Apoteosi di Antonino Pio, e Faustina sua moglie, il di cui Piedestallo si vede inalzato sulla Piazza di Monte Citorio - Rome, 1779, plate 2. Collection of the Royal Academy of Art.

Here are a few of the coin types portrayed:


Faustina I, AD 138-140.
Roman Æ as, 10.36 g, 28.05 mm, 5 h.
Rome, AD 150 or later.
Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: AETERNITAS S C, Aeternitas, seated left on starry globe, extending right hand and holding transverse sceptre in left hand.
Refs: RIC 1159a; BMCRE 1551-54; Cohen 22; Strack 1266; RCV 4639.


Faustina I, AD 138-140.
Roman Æ as or dupondius, 10.28 g, 25.4 mm, 5 h.
Rome, AD 150.
Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: AETERNITAS S C, hexastyle temple; within, figure seated front, raising right hand and holding vertical scepter in left; in pediment, uncertain figures; above, a quadriga, and at angles, Victories; in front, lattice fence; to left and right, statues on pedestals.
Refs: RIC 1168; BMCRE 1562-63; Cohen 66; RCV 4644; Strack 1259.


Antoninus Pius, AD 138-161.
Roman AR denarius, 3.26g, 17.2 mm, 5 h.
Rome, AD 161.
Obv: DIVVS ANTONINVS, head of Antoninus Pius, bare, right, with drapery on left shoulder.
Rev: CONSECRATIO, ustrinum of four tiers decorated with garlands and statues and surmounted by a quadriga.
Refs: RIC 438; BMCRE 60-64; RSC 164a; RCV 5193; MIR 24.
Notes: Also struck with a right-facing bare head (no drapery) portrait.


Faustina Senior, AD 138-141.
Roman orichalcum dupondius, 16.19 g, 26.1 mm, 10 h.
Rome, AD 140-141.
Obv: DIVA AVGVSTA FAVSTINA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: CONSECRATIO S C, Funeral pyre in three stories, set on base, ornamented and garlanded, surmounted by Faustina in biga right.
Refs: RIC 1189; BMCRE p. 236 *; Cohen 187; RCV --; Strack 1238.

 

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None. But that is beautiful and I want to share soooo, I'll drop off my haunted Ant Pie and Zombstina l right here:

 

Fascinating. Do the engravings accurately portray the small details of the types depicted? 17th and 18th century coin illustrations aren't always known for fidelity to the originals.

 

I have one of the Divus Pius Sestertii with the pyre on the reverse. It is a variation of the one featured in the engraving as mine has the S C in the exergue and not in the field as shown in the engraving
Antoninus Pius Ae Sestertius as Divus Minted during the reign of Marcus Aurelius sometime after 161 AD Obv Head of Pius right Rv Funeral pyre of four levels surmounted by facing quadriga RIC 1266 26.60 grms 33 mm Photo by W. Hansen I have always liked the reverse featuring the pyre and have over the years made an effort to purchase one. I found this one at the NYINC The dealer was from the Netherlands and he had this coin traced back to a Hess-Leu Sale in 1968. Subsequent research on my part showed that the coin was in a French sale in 1965

 

Yes. I think the engraver had examples of the coins to consult when doing the illustration.

Here's another:


Jean Elsen & ses Fils S.A. (Auction 142), 14.9.2019, lot 445

 

Gorgeous!!!

 

I wish I had those types. My best approximations:

 

Congrats, Roman Collector , what came first, the coins or the illustration ?
Only have one:

 

Some ancient wedding cakes

 

Nice depiction of the engravings. I got something similar from Frank L Kovacs which I posted on my wall.

 

I've always thought so!



I don't know if I've ever seen a denarius (as opposed to a large bronze) on which it's clear that that's supposed to be a quadriga on top of the funeral pyre, and not candles!