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Message:: [QUOTE="Roman Collector, post: 8270591, member: 75937"]<img src="https://media4.giphy.com/media/GfcnqZx2unIEmPojR9/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e476qp0d7a6pgzgqtk7f7fy6mr4ku9jbu87sy8w2hgv&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> Not just Friday! It's Faustina Friday! TGIFF, y'all!! Thanks to the work of Martin Beckmann,[1] we have been able to arrange the undated coinage of Faustina I in chronological order and, in many cases, assign a rough date of issue. Beckmann accomplished this by constructing a nearly complete sequence of die-linkages for the aurei, supported by additional shorter, but corroborative, die-linkages amongst the aurei and the sestertii. Moreover, by studying hybrids of dated coins of Antoninus Pius or Aurelius Caesar which bear Faustina's reverse types, and by studying the connections of issues to other dated events, he has been able to assign actual – not just relative – dates to certain issues. Faustina's posthumous coinage is divided into five main phases commencing with the deification and funeral of Faustina. The issue I discuss today belongs to the fifth and final of these, which commenced in AD 150 for the tenth anniversary of Faustina's death and deification but continued for some years afterward. These coins all bear the late obverse inscription DIVA FAVSTINA, which may appear as DIVA-FAVSTINA or DIVA FAV-STINA. Among these issues were a large series of coins in all metals bearing the reverse inscription AETERNITAS. Mattingly[2] rightfully explains, however, that the coins of the large series of AETERNITAS reverse types issued for Faustina cannot be taken simply as the name of a goddess, Aeternitas, because the various figures have the accoutrements associated with several different goddesses and personifications. He explains: <blockquote>It is ... difficult to define the character of the figures associated with the legend. They may be regarded as varying representations of the spirit of Aeternitas with emblems borrowed from the goddesses and virtues who inhabit her sphere; or, as so many goddesses, Juno, Fortuna, and the rest; or as Diva Faustina, bearing the attributes of such goddesses in Eternity. The third probably comes nearest the the exact quality of Roman thought but, in the text, we have thought it best to define the types as far as possible by their attributes -- Juno by her sceptre and Fortuna by her rudder.</blockquote> The reverse figure on the coins we shall discuss today is unambiguously to be identified as Aeternitas, the personification of eternity itself.[3] That is because she holds a phoenix, a symbol of cyclical time, since the phoenix was reborn in flames every 500 years.[4] The phoenix is one of four attributes that are unequivocally associated with Aeternitas on Antonine coinage: the Phoenix, the large circular hoop of the Zodiac, the large starry globe on which the figure is seated, and the starry veil billowing around head of the figure.[5] There are two issues depicting Aeternitas holding a phoenix: one depicting Aeternitas standing left, holding a phoenix in her right hand and raising the hem of her <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/matronly-garments-the-stola-and-palla.346585/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/matronly-garments-the-stola-and-palla.346585/">stola</a> with her left, and one depicting her seated left, holding a phoenix on globe in her right hand and a scepter in her left. The Aeternitas standing reverse type was used for the denarius, sestertius, and middle bronze denominations; the Aeternitas seated type only appears on the bronze denominations. The two types seem to have been issued more or less simultaneously in the late 150s,[6] shortly after the appearance of the <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/faustina-friday-celestial-hemisphere-edition.371808/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/faustina-friday-celestial-hemisphere-edition.371808/">issue</a> featuring Aeternitas standing front, head left, holding globe, and with left hand holding <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/faustina-i-denarius-scarce-aeternitas-type.317976/#post-3914349" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/faustina-i-denarius-scarce-aeternitas-type.317976/#post-3914349">starry veil which billows around her head</a>.[7] The deified empress is depicted only with a right-facing bust and with the obverse inscription DIVA FAVSTINA. She may be depicted either bare-headed (most common and in all denominations) or with a veiled bust (rare and in the bronze denominations only). Here are representative examples from my own collection. Let's see your coins depicting Aeternitas, phoenices, or anything else you feel is relevant! Aeternitas Standing [ATTACH=full]1459680[/ATTACH]<blockquote>Faustina I, AD 138-140. Roman AR denarius, 3.33 g, 17.8 mm, 5 h. Rome, ca. AD 155-161. Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: AETERNITAS, Aeternitas, draped, standing left, holding phoenix on extended right hand and raising fold of skirt with left hand. Refs: RIC 347; BMCRE 354-57; Cohen 11; Strack 446; RCV 4576; CRE 70. Notes: The phoenix is often depicted nimbate and occasionally standing on a globe.</blockquote> [ATTACH=full]1459681[/ATTACH]<blockquote>Faustina I, AD 138-140.Roman orichalcum sestertius, 22.40 g, 32.6 mm, 4 h.Rome, ca. AD 155-161.Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.Rev: AETERNITAS S C, Aeternitas standing facing, head left, holding phoenix (nimbate right) on globe in right hand and with left hand drawing out fold of skirt. Refs: RIC 1105a; BMCRE 1490, 1493; Cohen 12; RCV 4607.</blockquote> [ATTACH=full]1459682[/ATTACH]<blockquote>Faustina I, AD 138-140.Roman Æ as or dupondius, 13.81 g, 27.3 mm, 12 h.Rome, ca. AD 155-161.Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.Rev: AETERNITAS S C, Aeternitas standing facing, head left, holding phoenix (nimbate right) on globe in right hand and with left hand drawing out fold of skirt.Refs: RIC 1157; BMCRE 1544-47; Cohen 13; Strack 1261; RCV 4638.</blockquote> Aeternitas Seated [ATTACH=full]1459683[/ATTACH]<blockquote>Faustina I, AD 138-140.Roman orichalcum sestertius, 26.57 gm, 32.5 mm, 1 h.Rome, ca. AD 155-161.Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.Rev: AETERNITAS SC, Aeternitas enthroned left, holding phoenix (nimbate right) on globe and scepter.Refs: RIC 1103A(a); BMCRE 1482-86; Cohen 15; Strack 1265; RCV 4606.</blockquote> [ATTACH=full]1459684[/ATTACH]<blockquote>Faustina I, AD 138-140.Roman orichalcum sestertius, 25.79 gm, 31.4 mm, 12 h.Rome, ca. AD 155-161.Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA, veiled and draped bust, right.Rev: AETERNITAS SC, Aeternitas enthroned left, holding phoenix on globe and scepter.Refs: RIC 1103A(b); BMCRE 1487-89; Cohen 17; Strack 1265; RCV 4606 var.Note: Rare with veiled bust; Beckmann notes only two obverse dies with veiled busts paired with this reverse type.[8]</blockquote> [ATTACH=full]1459685[/ATTACH]<blockquote>Faustina I, AD 138-140.Roman Æ as or dupondius, 10.91 gm, 27.3 mm, 12 h.Rome, ca. AD 155-161.Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.Rev: AETERNITAS SC, Aeternitas enthroned left, holding phoenix on globe and scepter.Refs: RIC 1156(a); BMCRE 1549-50; Cohen 16; Strack 1265; RCV 4637.</blockquote> ~~~ Notes 1. Beckmann, Martin. Diva Faustina: Coinage and Cult in Rome and the Provinces. American Numismatic Society, 2012. 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, p. lxii. 3. Welch, Bill. "Aeternitas on Roman Coins." What I Like About Ancient Coins, Forum Ancient Coins, <a href="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/moonmoth/reverse_aeternitas.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/moonmoth/reverse_aeternitas.html" rel="nofollow">https://www.forumancientcoins.com/moonmoth/reverse_aeternitas.html</a>. 4. Harris, Paul A, and Michael Crawford, editors. Time and Uncertainty (The Study of Time, Volume: 11). Brill, 2004, p. 179. 5. Dinsdale, Paul H. Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius Caesar AD 138-161; Second Revised Edition. Leeds, Paul H Dinsdale, 2021, p. 234. 6. Beckmann, op. cit., pp. 70-71. 7. Beckmann, op. cit., Die Chart 17. 8. Dies df 12 and df 17, ibid.[/QUOTE]

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