Friday felicitations, fellow Faustina Fanatics! Today we're taking a break from the coins of Faustina the Younger and we're going to explore this early posthumous issue of Faustina the Elder, which is a new acquisition to my numophylacium. It's a type I've sought for quite a while but always would get outbid when an example came up at auction. This time, I got lucky. Faustina I, AD 138-140. Roman AR denarius, 3.47 g, 18.2 mm, 1 h. Rome, AD 140-141. Obv: DIVA AVG FAVSTINA, veiled and draped bust, right. Rev: AETERNITAS around eight-pointed star; dot below. Refs: RIC 355(b); BMCRE 293-295; Cohen 63; Strack 421; RCV 4580; CRE 124. Notes: Double die match to BMCRE 294. The Fasti Ostienses for A.D. 140 records: On October 23(?) Faustina Augusta died and on the same day was named diva by the Senate and a senatorial decree was made awarding her a state funeral. Games and circus-races were offered. [Some unknown number of days before] November 13 Faustina’s state funeral was celebrated, gold and silver statues were set up(?), and a senatorial decree.[1] Soon after, Antoninus Pius began issuing coinage in her honor, a practice he continued until the end of his reign. This coin was among the first. It bears the veil worn by the deceased empress, emphasizing her deified status. The AETERNITAS inscription ("eternity") and the star on the reverse represents the deified empress's "soul in the heavenly sphere."[2] Do not confuse the AETERNITAS types discussed here with the vast issue of AD 150 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the empress's death and consecration. These later types bear the DIVA FAVSTINA obverse inscription.[3] This coin was issued only in the denarius denomination and therefore falls outside the purview of Beckmann's die-linkage studies of the aurei and sestertii of Diva Faustina I. Nonetheless, Beckmann assigns this coin to the earliest issues for the deified empress: The denarii, as explained in Chapter 1, are impossible to arrange by die study. But some progress can be made by observing characteristics common with the earliest aurei and sestertii. So to this earliest coinage of Diva Faustina can be added the denarius types showing a star with the legend AETERNITAS (a parallel to the standing figure/AETERNITAS on the gold and bronze) and the type with an eagle and the legend CONSECRATIO (paralleling the eagle and Faustina/CONSECRATIO issues of the bronze).[4] The standing figure to which Beckmann refers holds a globe and scepter and is typically identified as Providentia.[5] Beckmann's die-linkage study of the aurei of Diva Faustina identifies the type as among the very first issued after her death,[6] making a date of AD 140-141 almost certain. The stylistic parallels in the busts between the AETERNITAS/star type and the AETERNITAS/standing figure type are striking. Note the small size of the portrait relative to the flan, the ornaments sewn into the empress's hair in front of her chignon, and the tiny amount of drapery portrayed, without even the shoulders making an appearance on the portrait. Faustina I, AD 138-140. Roman AR denarius, 3.26 g, 17.7 mm, 1 h. Rome, AD 140-141. Obv: DIVA AVG FAVSTINA, veiled and draped bust, right. Rev: AETERNITAS, Providentia standing left, holding globe and scepter. Refs: RIC 350a(b); BMCRE 291; RSC 34a; Strack 417; RCV –; CRE 120. Faustina I, AD 138-140. Roman orichalcum sestertius, 26.91 g, 32.3 mm, 7 h. Rome, AD 140-141. Obv: DIVA AVGVSTA FAVSTINA •, veiled and draped bust, right. Rev: AETERNITAS S C, Providentia standing front, head left, holding globe and scepter. Refs: RIC 1108b; BMCRE 1421; Cohen --; Strack 1230; RCV --. In this interesting video, Janet Stephens, an expert in ancient hairdressing techniques, shows you how Faustina's signature hairstyle was done and how these ornaments were added. Do you have coins with stars as a major design element? Let's see them! Feel free to post comments, questions, or anything you feel is relevant! ~~~ Notes 1. Fasti Ostienses (tablet O, lines 11-15), quoted and transl. by Martin Beckmann. The texts are damaged and both dating formulas are corrupted; therefore, the precise days cannot be recovered. See Beckmann, Martin. Diva Faustina: Coinage and Cult in Rome and the Provinces. American Numismatic Society, 2012, p.22. 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, pp. lx-lxi. 3. Unfortunately, and confusingly, some of these later types (from the late 150s) anachronistically bear the earlier DIVA AVG FAVSTINA legend. They are easily identified, however, by portrait style and the fact that coins of the same reverse types were issued in parallel with the expected late DIVA FAVSTINA legend. I have previously discussed these late denarius types with early obverse legends. 4. Beckmann, Martin. Diva Faustina: Coinage and Cult in Rome and the Provinces. American Numismatic Society, 2012, p. 21. 5. So BMCRE, RIC, and CRE. On the other hand, Cohen identifies the figure as "Aeternitas or Providentia," whereas Strack and David Sear each identify the figure as Aeternitas. See: Mattingly, op. cit.; Mattingly, Harold and Edward A. Sydenham (RIC). The Roman Imperial Coinage. III, Spink, 1930; Temeryazev, S. A., and T. P. Makarenko (CRE). The Coinage of Roman Empresses. San Bernardino, CreateSpace, 2017; Cohen, Henry. Description historique des monnaies frappées sous l'Empire Romain, Tome II: de Nerva à Antonin (96 à 161 après J.-C.). Paris, 1882; Strack, Paul L., Untersuchungen zur Römischen Reichsprägung des Zweiten Jahrhunderts, vol. 3, Die Reichsprägung zur Zeit des Antoninus Pius. Stuttgart 1937; Sear, David R., Roman Coins and their Values, vol. 2, The Accession of Nerva to the Overthrow of the Severan Dynasty, A.D. 96 -A.D. 235. London, 2002 6. Beckmann, op. cit., Die Chart 1.
Great write up and BIG COINGRATS on your new Of course the Macedonians liked their right pointed royal star And now I'm confused. Here I thought this was Juno!? Diva Faustina I AR Denarius. Struck under Antoninus Pius, Rome, AD 141. DIVA FAVSTINA, draped bust left / AETERNITAS, Juno standing left, raising right hand and holding sceptre. Reference:RIC 344 Very Fine, 2,8 gr, 17 mm Purchased from NBS Aug 2021
Thank you both for the kind words and for sharing your Faustina AETERNITAS coins, @Andres2 and @Ryro! Yes, both your coin and @Andres2's coin depict Juno. I explain the identification of this particular goddess on these AETERNITAS types in this previous installment of Faustina Friday.
..now i wanna see her smell those underarms ....hehehe....great coins and great Faustina Friday article @Roman Collector ...i'll post me favorite(and only) bronze of lady(which one is this again?!?)
Great addition, @Roman Collector. The eight-point star reverse design is so unusual. Thanks for sharing. I also like the obverse Faustina I smiling portrait. She must be happy about "Faustina Friday"!
Congratulations, @Roman Collector! I have nothing directly relevant, but your post does call these to mind. First, here's a coin with not one but seven 8-pointed stars: Roman Republic, L. Lucretius Trio*, AR Denarius, 76 or 74 BCE.** Obv. Radiate head of Sol right / Rev. Crescent moon surrounded by seven 8-pointed stars (three above and two on each side); TRIO between horns of crescent***; L• LVCRET below crescent. Crawford 390/1, RSC I Lucretia 2 (ill.), BMCRR I Rome 3245 (ill. BMCRR III, Pl. XLII No. 11), Sear RCV I 321 (ill.), Sydenham 783, Harlan, RRM 1 Ch. 16 at pp. 98-100 [Michael Harlan, Roman Republican Moneyers and their Coins, 81 BCE-64 BCE (Vol. I) (2012)]. 18 mm., 3.83 g.**** [Footnotes omitted, except for statement in 4th fn. that "I express no opinion on the meaning of the seven stars and crescent moon depicted on the reverse of a number of Imperial denarii, including denarii of Septimius Severus and Julia Domna minted in Emesa more than two centuries later; see RIC IV-1 Septimius Severus 417 & 629. There are similar reverses on coins issued for Diva Faustina I and Diva Faustina II; see RIC III Antoninus Pius 1199, RIC III Marcus Aurelius 750.") My one Diva Faustina I: Diva Faustina I [Senior] (wife of Antoninus Pius), AR Denarius, prob. 150-160 AD [see Dinsdale, infra at p. 216 -- including this type among coins issued upon and after 10th anniversary of Faustina’s deification]. Obv: Draped bust right, DIVA FAVSTINA / Rev: Ceres, veiled, standing left, holding torch in left hand and holding right hand up in greeting, CONSECRATIO. RIC III 382b corr.*, RSC II 165a, Sear RCV II 4593, Dinsdale 020610 [Dinsdale, Paul H, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius Caesar AD 138-161: Antonine Coinage (2018) at p. 249; photo at p. 254]. 17 mm., 3.3 g. * RIC III 382b erroneously describes Faustina’s bust on obverse as veiled. (RIC III 382a has different obverse legend [DIVA AVG FAVSTINA]). My only coin with an AETERNITAS legend: Philip I AR Antoninianus, ca. 247/48 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Radiate, draped, & cuirassed bust right, IMP PHILIPPVS AVG/ Rev. Elephant walking left, bearing driver holding goad, AETERNITAS AVGG. RIC IV-3 58, RSC IV 17, Sear RCV III 8921. 23 mm., 4.2 g. (Issued in connection with 1,000th anniversary of founding of Rome.) Finally, the Greek equivalent of Aeternitas: Antoninus Pius, Billon Tetradrachm, Year 6 (142-143 AD), Alexandria, Egypt Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, ΑΝΤⲰΝΙΝΟϹ - ϹƐΒƐVϹƐΒ around (beginning at 1:00) / Rev. Phoenix standing right, crowned with circular nimbus [halo], ΑΙ - ⲰΝ [= Aion, Greek equivalent of Roman Aeternitas, also symbolizing the cyclical nature of “time, the orb or circle encompassing the universe, and the zodiac” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aion_(deity))]; across lower fields, L - Ϛ [Year 6]. 23.5 mm., 12.7 g. Dattari (1901 ed.) 2431 at p. 153 (this coin) [Dattari, Giovanni, Monete imperiali greche, Numi Augg. Alexandrini, Catalogo della collezione (Cairo 1901)]; Dattari (Savio) 2429 & Pl. 117 (this coin) [Savio, A. ed., Catalogo completo della collezione Dattari Numi Augg. Alexandrini (Trieste, 2007)] [numbering different because of error: illustrations of 2431 and 2429 switched on Pl. 117]; RPC IV.4 Online 13506 (temporary) (see https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/4/13506); Emmett 1419.6; Milne 1734 at p. 42; BMC 16 Alexandria 1004 at p. 117 (rev. ill at Pl. XXVI) [“Phoenix (Numidian crane)”], K&G 35.180 (obv. var., draped), SNG Fr. Alexandrie II 2267 (obv. var., draped). Purchased from Naville Numismatics Auction 72 (27 Mar 2022), Lot 341; ex Dattari Collection.* *The phoenix on the reverse of this coin, accompanied by the legend “ΑΙⲰΝ,” clearly relates to the beginning of a new Great Sothic Cycle early in the reign of Antoninus Pius, as most famously reflected in the Zodiac coinage issued in his eighth year. See Classical Numismatic Group, Triton XXI Catalog (“The Giovanni Maria Staffieri Collection of the Coins of Roman Alexandria,” Jan 9. 2018), Lot 124, p. 68 (available at https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=349280). [Remainder of footnote omitted.]
Aha, Faustina Friday always brings me cheer! The denarius with the star is really different. I also really like Donna's republican denarius!
My first Faustina Friday contribution. I agree Donna's republican denarius is outstanding. I hadn't seen one before. Here is my Faustina. Faustina Senior Rome AD143 NRCV 4575 17.33 mm 2.84 gm And here are some significant stars. HADRIAN (117-138). Denarius. Rome. Obv: HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS. Laureate head right. Rev: COS III. Crescent and seven stars. 18.33 mm 2.45 gms RIC 202. HADRIAN (117-138 A.D). Silver denarius. Mint of Rome, 125-134 A.D. Obverse. Laureate head of Hadrian right. Reverse. Cos III, Large star within crescent moon. Weight: 18.32 mm 2.82 gms
Thank you both. It's one of my favorites among the Roman Republican coins I bought last year. For my full write-up, with all my footnotes about the type, see https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ro...s-trio-with-sol-crescent-moon-7-stars.385895/ .
Silver coin (AR Denarius) minted at Rome for FAUSTINA I, Wife of ANTONINUS PIUS, in 141 A.D. Obv. DIVA.FAVSTINA.: dr. bust r. Rev. AETERNITAS.: Juno stg., front, hd. l., raising r. hand and holding sceptre. RCS #1348. RSCII #27 pg.191. RICIII # 345 pg.69. DVM #4/3.
