Everything you never wanted to know about a common denarius of Faustina II

Post anything you feel is relevant, of course

I am a sucker for Antonine women on coins and I continue in my quest for all the various reverse types of Faustina Jr. Here is one I picked up at auction for a song.

It comes with three obverse inscriptions:

a) FAVSTINA AVGVSTA AVG PII F
b) FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL
c) FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG F

Even though the inscription is partially off the flan, it clearly ends in PII F, so it's type a (RIC 508a, Cohen 184). Of these, only type b is difficult to acquire.

In contrast to some who might consider the irregular flan to be a flaw, I like it because it shows evidence of flan preparation. Jere M. Wickens, in his essay, "The Production of Ancient Coins," written for Bearers of Meaning: The Otillia Buerger Collection of Ancient and Byzantine Coins at Lawrence University, notes that flans "were cast en chapelet, that is, using open or closed moulds in which a number of mould hollows were connected by channels. Clear evidence for this method exists; the runners that connected the flans were not always completely removed." This denarius shows evidence of such a runner at the edge of the flan at the 12:00 position of the obverse:


Faustina II, Augusta AD 147-175, issued under Antoninus Pius
Roman AR denarius; 2.82 g, 17 mm, 6 h
Rome, AD 148-152
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA AVG PII F, bare-headed and draped bust right
Rev: PVDICITIA, Pudicitia standing left, sacrificing over lit altar to left
Refs: RIC 508a; BMCRE 1092; Cohen 184; RCV 4707; CRE 207.

You can see this same feature on this denarius of Julia Domna in my collection:


Julia Domna, issued under Septimius Severus
Roman AR denarius; 3.24 gm, 19.8 mm, 1 h
Rome mint, AD 207
Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, r. Rev: FECVNDITAS, Terra reclining l. under tree, left arm on basket of fruits, right hand set on globe, spangled with stars; in background, four children advancing r., representing the four seasons. Refs: RIC 549; BMCRE 21; Cohen 35; RCV 6579; Hill 850; CRE 389.

The Faustina Junior denarius can be confused at first glance with a similar (probably earlier) issue, which depicts the emperor's daughter with a different hairstyle on the bust and where a standing Pudicitia is drawing out her veil, rather than sacrificing at an altar:


Faustina II, Augusta AD 147-175, issued under Antoninus Pius
Roman AR denarius; 3.45 g, 18.8 mm, 5 h
Rome, AD 147-149
Obv: FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL, pearl-diademed and draped bust right
Rev: PVDICITIA, Pudicitia standing left, drawing out veil and gathering up fold of skirt behind
Refs: RIC 507a; BMCRE 1051; RSC 176a; RCV 4706; CRE 206.

 

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FAUSTINA Sr
AE Sestertius
OBVERSE: DIVA FAVSTINA, draped bust right
REVERSE: AETERNITAS S-C, Aeternitas seated left holding phoenix & scepter
Struck at Rome, 147 AD
24.53g, 34 mm
RIC 1103A


FAUSTINA MINOR
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL, draped bust right
REVERSE: CONCOR-DIA, Concordia seated left, holding flower & resting left arm on cornucopiae set on globe below seat
Struck at Rome, 152-3 AD
2.9g, 18mm
RIC 502a

JULIA DOMNA
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: IVLIA AVGVSTA, draped bust right
REVERSE: VESTA MATER, Vesta seated left, holding Palladium and sceptre
Struck at Rome, 196-211 AD
3.3g, 19mm
RIC 583

 

Faustina II AE Dupondius.

OBV: FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL, Diademed & draped bust right.

REV: PVDICITIA S-C, Pudicitia standing left, holding out cloak in both hands.

REF: RIC 1403, Cohen 179.

Ex: Holding History Coins +photo

 

Gorgeous!

 

Sweet posts guys!!

I guess I'll pile on with my frequently posted duponius of Faustina II---I couldn't resist the chocolate patina

 

This Faustina Junior as was part of my father-in-law's nice little collection. As a practitioner with a broad historical interest, he stood always in the front row when something was found in the soil. So he bought this coin from the finder, a rose grower in a neighbour village - with a Celtic settlement 2000 years ago. Not a perfect coin, but colorful!

 

I really enjoyed this post - Roman Collector, feel free to share common Faustina information - I too like this series and would like to know more.

I don't have much, but here is my super-rare (just kidding) headless baby denarius of Faustina II:


Faustina II Denarius. FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed, draped bust right / SAECVLI FELICIT, throne (Pulvinar) upon which sits Commodus and Antoninus. RIC 711

 

Just a simple circulated version:


RI Faustina Jr 161-175 CE Ar Denarius m Marcus Aurelius 17.1mm 3g

 

Boy-O, I couldn't agree more! There is just something fascinating about the leading ladies of ancient Rome that I just can't put my finger on. Was it the scandals? Adultery, scheming and plotting, prostitution! The power that they wielded being so close to the ultimate power? Remember Claudius being unsure if he was still emperor after the 1st lady held a secret marriage to Rome's most handsome actor! Or was it the hair!?! One of my favorite things is the wild and often silly looking things they did with their hair. Haha.
Anyway, pardon the photos but this is a subject that intrigues me immensely so I thought I better share...
Here is the notorious Faustina the elder and then the grand mum of so many bad boys, Julia Domna herself. And lastly,my Julia Sabina that I need to free.