TGIFF, everybody!!! Today we're going to talk about styling hair. I have long contemplated a series of installments on Faustina the Younger's famous coiffures but have been putting it off because I always seem to get distracted by some other subject to explore. In fact, I did not intend for today's installment to be about hair. It started because I simply wanted to post about this coin I obtained at auction last December. I have never posted it here at CT before. Faustina II, AD 147-175. Roman Æ as or dupondius, 9.64 g, 23.6 mm, 5 h. Rome, AD 164-166. Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right (Beckmann Type 9 hairstyle). Rev: CERES S C, Ceres, veiled, seated left on cista, holding corn-ears and short transverse torch. Refs: RIC 1622 corr.; BMC 967; Cohen 38; RCV 5290; MIR 2-7/10b. Notes: RIC errs when it describes Ceres holding a "long torch" on its reverse. Although there are two issues featuring Ceres seated and holding a torch, the middle bronze denomination was only used for the first issue, which features Ceres holding a short, transverse torch. The error arose because the authors of RIC mistranslated Cohen. See this previous post for details. I wanted to show off the coin because its portrait is lovely, but what was I going to say? I've already posted about the goddess Ceres in general and about this reverse type in particular. So, I asked myself, "RC, what is the most noteworthy aspect of the coin?" To which I answered, "Why, the exquisitely rendered Beckmann Type 9 coiffure, of course!" And that's how this installment came to be about the Type 9 hairstyle. Moreover, since my series about hairstyles actually began with a post about the Type 3 hairstyle, not Type 1, why not continue the series with Type 9 since they're not in order anyway? How to Recognize this Hair Style Beckmann describes the characteristics of this hairstyle as follows: Type 9 shows Faustina's hair arranged in rows (normally four) parallel to her hairline and gathered into the usual bun; each row of hair is inscribed with a single line in a wave pattern.[1] Beckmann cites as an example of this hairstyle a bust in the Capitoline Museum in Rome (inv. 250).[2] Bust of Faustina the Younger, Rome, Capitoline Museum Inv. Scu 250 (side view). Photo by Gisela Fittschen-Badura.[3] Copyright © 2022, University of Cologne Archaeological Institute. Fair use for purposes of scholarship, teaching, and research. Bust of Faustina the Younger, Rome, Capitoline Museum Inv. Scu 250 (front view).[4] Note the empress's hair is combed in wavy locks, parted in the center, drawn down at the sides to cover the ears and twisted in a bun at the nape of the neck. Here are a few additional examples of coins in my collection featuring this hairstyle. Faustina II, AD 147-175. Roman AR denarius, 3.40 g, 17.4 mm, 5 h. Rome, c. AD 166. Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bust of Faustina II, draped, right, Beckmann type 9 hairstyle. Rev: HILARITAS, Hilaritas standing left, holding long palm-branch in right hand and cornucopia in left hand. Refs: RIC 686; BMCRE 100; RSC 111; RCV 5254; CRE 182. Faustina Jr, AD 147-175. Roman AR Denarius, 3.42 g, 17.6 mm, 7 h. Rome, AD 166-170. Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right, Beckmann type 9 hairstyle. Rev: IVNO, Juno, veiled, draped, standing left, holding patera in extended right hand and scepter in left hand; at left, peacock. Refs: RIC 688; BMC 106; Cohen 120; RCV 5255; CRE 188. Faustina Jr, Augusta AD 147-175. Roman AR Denarius, 3.18 g, 18.2 mm, 6 h. Rome, AD 170-175. Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right, Beckmann type 9 hairstyle. Rev: VENVS FELIX, Venus seated left, holding small statuary group of the three graces and scepter. Refs: RIC 731 var.; BMC p. 407* accession no. 1982,0202.7; CRE 240; Staal p. 142, p. 169. Dating the Hair Style Faustina seems to have adopted this particular hairstyle on the occasion of the birth of her two twins, Fulvius Antoninus and Commodus in AD 161.[5] I have written about their birth in a previous installment of Faustina Friday. The Beckmann type 9 hairstyle appears on coins of Faustina the Younger as early as late AD 161, when it was used on an obverse aureus die paired with the SALVTI AVGVSTI reverse type, which in turn shares a die linkage with an obverse die paired with the TEMPOR FELIC reverse type issued to commemorate the birth of her twins.[6] I have previously written about the TEMPOR FELIC and the SALVTI AVGVSTAE reverse types and their relation to the birth of Fulvius Antoninus and Commodus. Figure 4.4 (p. 54) from Beckmann's die-linkage study of the aurei of Faustina the Younger, demonstrating the appearance of the Type 9 hairstyle shortly after the issuance of the TEMPOR FELIC type to honor the birth of twins to the empress in AD 161. Since the twins were born on 31 August, 161, a terminus post quem for this hairstyle of September 161 is reasonable, but what about a terminus ante quem? What's a reasonable latest date for the use of this hairstyle? This is a very difficult question to answer. As Paul Dinsdale reminds us, not only do many coin-types appear with multiple hairstyles, indicating continuous or repeated issue, but the hairstyles on many specimens cannot be neatly fitted into one of Beckmann's types.[7] Indeed, Beckmann's die-linkage study of the aurei of Faustina the Younger demonstrate that ongoing use of older bust types often persisted despite the introduction of new bust types with different hairstyles, and numerous reverse types are known with two or even three different hairstyles on the obverse bust. We see the same phenomenon on the silver and bronze issues as well. Be that as it may, the Beckmann type 10 hairstyle does not appear until after the death of Lucius Verus in AD 169.[8] Nonetheless, we see coins such as the VENVS FELIX issue that pair this reverse type with obverse dies featuring the empress in both the Type 9 and Type 10 hairstyle. The type 9 hairstyle thus seems to have been in use as late as AD 170 or 171. Therefore, dating a coin of Faustina the Younger issued between AD 161 and 170 based on hairstyle is problematic. Nonetheless, a general trend is apparent when examining Beckmann's die linkage study and examining the parallel silver and bronze coinage. Although the type 9 hairstyle was used as early as AD 161, it is soon replaced by dies featuring the Types 7 and 8 hairstyles, but later in the sequence of issues, the type 9 hairstyle again becomes dominant.[9] Beckmann explains: Types 7, 8, and 9 initially overlapped; in other words, they were used at roughly the same time in the mint. I have numbered these portrait types in order that represents their "peak" popularity in the mint relative to each other. It is not clear from the die links which type appeared first, but Type 9 is entirely dominant in the later part of the die-link chain …. Let's see your coins with the Type 9 hairstyle! As always, feel free to post comments or any coins you feel are relevant. ~~~ Notes 1. Beckmann, Martin, Faustina the Younger: Coinage, Portraits, and Public Image, A.N.S. Numismatic Studies 43, American Numismatic Society, New York, 2021, p. 58. 2. Ibid., p. 87. 3. "Portraitbüste Der Faustina Minor." Arachne, University of Cologne Archaeological Institute, https://arachne.dainst.org/entity/148770. 4. "Bust of Faustina the Younger." Musei Capitolini, Capitoline Museum, Rome, http://capitolini.info/scu00250/?lang=en. 5. Capitoline Museum, ibid. 6. Beckmann, op cit., Fig. 4.4, p. 54. 7. Dinsdale, Paul H. The Imperial Coinage of the Middle Antonines: Marcus Aurelius with Lucius Verus and Commodus. Leeds, Paul H Dinsdale, 2020, p. 50. 8. Szaivert, Wolfgang, Die Münzprägung der Kaiser Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verus und Commodus (161/192), Moneta Imperii Romani 18. Vienna, 1989, p. 231; Beckmann, op. cit., pp. 64-65. 9. Beckmann, op cit., pp. 58-64. 10. Beckmann, op cit., p. 86.
Great coin and write up RC! You know I'm always a sucker for fun hairstyles. My latest Faustina II is similar: And my first, just for fun:
As always, a very informative write-up! This is the same type you have shown, just a little less well preserved: Faustina II, Roman Empire, denarius, 161–175 AD, Rome mint. Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA; bust of Faustina II, draped, r. Rev: IVNO, Iuno standing l., holding patera and sceptre, peacock at feet l. 18mm, 2.94g. Ref: RIC III Marcus Aurelius 688.
Roman-collector, this is a very hairy thread, that, as usual, you've combed through in great detail with your OP, creating, I am sure, a wave of interesting posts! Faustina II 170-175/6 AD AE Sestertius MATRI MAGNAE reverse ex Carmona 25.72 grams
Very enjoyable and informative post as always, @Roman Collector The problem with Beckmann's hairstyles in a collection like mine is that the wear is so extensive you can rarely see the details. But I think I have one that fits Beckmann No. 9 (with a classic RC attribution note, included with my flip information: Faustina II Æ Dupondius (161-176 A.D.) Rome Mint FAVST[INA AVGVSTA], pearl-diademed, draped bust right / H[ILAR]ITAS, Hilaritas standing left, holding palm and cornucopiae, S-C across fields. RIC 1643; Cohen 113; BMCRE 982; Sear 5296. (12.37 grams / 22 mm) eBay Nov. 2019 Lot @ $4.00 Attribution Note: "Your Faustina II coin is a dupondius -- on the basis of the brassy color and the > 12 g weight. It just has a dumpy flan. Moreover, the British Museum specimen is probably a dupondius. Read the footnote to BMCRE 982 ("Dupondius?"). It weighs 12.26 g..." Coin Talk post Nov. 16, 2019,"Roman Collector" comments. I'm not so sure about this sestertius - not much hair detail left, but I assume it is from the same issue as the dupondius, therefore the same hair? Faustina II Æ Sestertius (161-175 A.D.) Rome Mint FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, draped bust right, double row of pearls / HLA[RITAS] SC, Hilaritas standing left, holding long palm and cornucopiae. RIC 1642; Cohen 112; BMC 911 (27.75 grams / 30 x 28 mm) eBay April 2021 The Beatles "Revolution 9" seems like an oversight from the OP? I mean gosh, what a catchy tune!
