Faustina Friday – The VENVS FELIX Enthroned Issue

And have a happy Faustina Friday! Post comments, Venus Felix coins, or anything you feel is relevant!

Venus bearing the epithet of "felix" appears for the first time on Roman coins during the reign of Hadrian,[1] when aurei and denarii bearing the genitive case legend VENERIS FELICIS were struck between AD 134 and 138.[2] The coins depict the cult statue in Hadrian's Temple of Venus Felix and Roma Aeterna,[3] and feature the goddess enthroned, left, holding a statuette of her son, Cupid, and the spear of her lover, Mars.[4] The coin thus likely commemorates the dedication of the temple in AD 135,[5] though the temple's construction may not have been finished until the reign of Hadrian's successor, Antoninus Pius, sometime between AD 140 and 144, as shown on several sestertii issued during his reign depicting the temple's façade and bearing the reverse legend VENERI FELICI.[6]

Aureus of Hadrian depicting Venus Felix seated, left, holding a statuette of Cupid and inverted spear. British Museum, BMCRE 750.​

On the coinage of Faustina the Younger, the epithet Venus Felix (in the dative case Veneri Felici) first appears on a rare aureus issued for about four or five months beginning about May AD 151,[7] known from only three reverse dies.[8]

Aureus of Faustina II bearing the reverse legend VENERI FELICI (to Venus Felix) and depicting a dove, the sacred bird of Venus. British Museum, BMCRE 1083.​

The appearance of a dove in conjunction with the VENERI FELICI legend comes as no surprise. The dove was associated with Venus. Servius comments on a passage of the Aeneid (6.190-211) that the dove is sacred to Venus because of its numerous offspring and mating, so this may be an allusion to the empress's growing family. Moreover, doves had association with harmonious marriage. Pliny writes (HN 10.52.104) that doves (columba) "possess the greatest modesty (pudicitia), and adultery is unknown to either sex; they do not violate the faith of wedlock, and they keep house in company. [...] Both partners have equal affection for their offspring." (Translation by H. Rackham, who translates columba as "pigeon"; taxonomically, doves are classified with pigeons.) The dove therefore signifies both fertility and marital harmony. I have written about such iconography in a previous installment of Faustina Friday. Beckmann cautions us that the use of felix in the reverse inscription on this issue should not be interpreted as "'fortunate' or 'blessed,' but rather as associated with fertility and fruitfulness."[9] "Fruitful Venus" is a reasonable translation.

The epithet Venus Felix appears for a second and final time on the coinage of Faustina II issued under her husband, Marcus Aurelius. The reverse design of these coins, which appeared in all denominations, is very similar to that of the VENERIS FELICIS issue of Hadrian discussed above. They feature Venus enthroned left, holding either a statuette of Cupid or of the Three Graces, and a long, transverse scepter.

Aureus of Faustina II depicting Venus Felix holding a statuette of the Three Graces. Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles Auction 93, September 6, 2016, Lot 1611.​

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, with 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; Temeryazev & Makarenko 240; Staal p. 142, p. 169.​

Faustina Jr, Augusta AD 147-175.
Roman AR Denarius, 3.07 g, 17.6 mm, 6 h.
Rome, AD 170-175.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right, with Beckmann type 10 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; Temeryazev & Makarenko 240; Staal p. 142, p. 169.​

Faustina Jr, Augusta AD 147-175.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 22.54 g, 29.3 mm, 6 h.
Rome, AD 170-175.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right, with Beckmann type 10 hairstyle.
Rev: VENVS FELIX, Venus seated left, holding statue of Victory (or Cupid) and scepter.
Refs: RIC 1686; BMCRE 957-58; Cohen 275; RCV 5287; MIR 35-6/10c; Hunter 79.​

Venus holds a statuette of the Three Graces

This is the only time that the Graces appear on coinage of Venus, even though they are often considered to be her attendants.[10] They too are associated with charm, beauty, and marriage, making them fitting companions for the goddess. It has been suggested that Venus Felix, particularly on empress coinage, may represent the peaceful and happy marriage of the leading couple of Rome.[11] The combination of the Graces with the scepter, as an embodiment of imperial power, corresponds well with this interpretation. The Venus Felix (Fruitful Venus) who is depicted on this issue was not only the mythical mother of Aeneas, and therefore the ancestor of all Roman people and especially Julius Caesar, but she was also the goddess of love, sexuality, fertility, and prosperity. This is appropriate on the reverse of a coin in the name of Faustina the Younger who bore twelve children in eleven pregnancies (one set of twins).[12]

Does Venus hold a statuette of Victory or of Cupid?

Mattingly identifies the figure in Venus' hand on the sestertius above as Victory, not Cupid as on the aureus of Hadrian. The Faustina and Hadrian coin types certainly look alike, although the extent of the similarities is difficult to tell because of the small size of the winged figure. The one visible difference between them is that some Faustina versions of this type seem to have the winged figure facing the left, while the Hadrian form stands facing the front. Boatwright suggests that while the basic pose of the sculptures was decided before Hadrian's death, the details of their attributes were not confirmed until the reign of Antoninus Pius when the statues were completed.[13] This could account for the discrepancy between the Hadrian and Faustina coins. Cupid may have been a part of the original plan as shown on the Hadrian aureus of AD 135 and was depicted on coins from the initial dedication of the temple. Subsequently, Victory could have replaced him in the final design, making the Faustina coins more accurate representations of what the cult statue of Venus Felix actually looked like.[14] Other scholars believe that the cult figure of Venus held a Cupid (Amor), not Victory, and that just as Venus' temple was a mirror image of Roma's, so the Amor in her hand was a palindrome of Roma.[15] This argument is thought-provoking and certainly plausible.

Dating the issue

The coins are undated but may be narrowed down somewhat by the obverse inscription and the hairstyles represented on them. Although the Beckmann type 9 hairstyle appears on coins of Faustina the Younger as early as late AD 162, when it appears on an obverse aureus die paired with the LAETITIA and VENVS GENETRIX reverse types issued to commemorate the birth of Marcus Annius Verus,[16] the type 10 hairstyle does not appear on aurei until after the death of Lucius Verus in AD 169.[17] Both Szaivert and Beckmann have suggested a possible break in the issuing of coins for Faustina, perhaps of several years, between AD 166 and 170.[18] Beckmann's die study has demonstrated 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. Such is the case here, and because the type occurs with the type 10 bust, I date it to AD 170-175.

The purpose of the issue

The purpose of the issue is not explicitly clear, but I have to wonder if it was issued to honor the birth of Vibia Sabina c. 170-171, who would have been the three-year-old at Sirmium when Herodes Atticus was there in 174. At minimum, the issue echoes the theme, if not the reverse iconography, of the Venus Felix issues of the early 150s: the harmony of the imperial couple.[19]

~~~

Notes

1. Boatwright, Mary. Hadrian and the City of Rome. Princeton University Press, 1987, p. 131.

2. Mattingly, Harold. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum. Vol. III: Nerva to Hadrian, British Museum, 1966, nos. 750 ff., p.334. Veneris Felicis is the genitive singular form of Venus Felix and may be translated as "of Venus Felix."

3. Mattingly, op. cit., p. cxlviii; Boatwright, op. cit., pp. 131-2.

4. Mattingly, op. cit., p. cxlviii.

5. Cassiodorus, Chronicle entry for AD 135; Boatwright, op. cit., pp. 131-2.

6. Grout, James. "Temple of Venus and Rome." Encyclopædia Romana, https://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/romanurbs/venusrome.html. For examples of such sestertii see Mattingly, Harold and Edward A. Sydenham. The Roman Imperial Coinage. III, Spink, 1930, nos. 651a, 651b, 652, p. 113.

7. Curtis L. Clay, personal communication, 13 September, 2021.

8. Beckmann, Martin, Faustina the Younger: Coinage, Portraits, and Public Image, A.N.S. Numismatic Studies 43, American Numismatic Society, New York, 2021, pp. 42, 65.

9. Beckmann, op. cit., p. 42.

10. March, Jenny. Cassell's Dictionary of Classical Mythology. London: Cassell and Co., 1998, pg. 338; Jones, John Melville. A Dictionary of Ancient Roman Coins. London: B. A. Seaby Ltd., 1990, pg. 129.

11. Jones, op cit., pg. 317.

12. I have enumerated these here. See post #22 at DonnaML. "Faustina II with One Child -- & with 2, 3, 4, & 6 Children -- plus Other Empresses with Children." Coin Talk, https://www.cointalk.com/threads/fa...en-plus-other-empresses-with-children.384702/.

13. Boatwright, op. cit., pg. 123.

14. Ryan, Caitlin. "Venus: Trends in the Numismatic Commemoration of the State Goddess." McMaster University, 2016, p. 87. https://macsphere.mcmaster.ca/bitstream/11375/20613/2/Ryan_Caitlin_LA_2016September_MasterofArts.pdf

15. Williamson, Tom. Inigo's Stones: Inigo Jones, Royal Marbles and Imperial Power. Matador, 2012, chapter 5.

16. Beckmann, op. cit., pp. 60-61.

17. Beckmann, op. cit., pp. 64-65.

18. 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., p. 65.

19. Beckmann, op. cit., p. 65.

 

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Terrific FF as always, @Roman Collector

As always, I go through my small collection of Faustina's to see if I have anything relevant, and this time I am embarrassed to post what I found - it is, I am fairly certain, the worst Faustina in my collection. Back in 2018 I had no standards whatsoever - I'm slightly pickier now.

Attribution is uncertain, for obvious reasons, but I spent a lot of time looking at the shape of the throne, etc. I am open to better suggestions!


Faustina II Æ As
(c. 170-176 A.D.)
Rome Mint
[F]AVSTINA AVG[VSTA], draped bust right / [VENV]S [FELIX S-C], Venus seated left, holding [Victory] & scepter.
RIC 1687; Cohen 276; BMC 1002 (Uncertain attrib.)
(10.47 grams / 22 mm)
eBay Aug. 2018

In keeping with the Venus/dove theme, here is a little quadrans that was presumably circulating during Fasutina II's lifetime:


Anonymous Æ Quadrans
Issued in period of Domitian to Antoninus Pius
(c. 81-161 A.D.)
Rome Mint
Diademed and draped bust of Venus right / Dove standing right, SC in exergue.
RIC 24; Cohen 10.
(2.43 grams / 13 mm)
eBay Aug. 2018

Merry Christmas, everyone!

 

@Roman Collector.....Excellent write up as always..Thoroughly enjoyed it. Lovely portrait on the Sestertius...

Here's the Greek equivalent.....
LAODICEA AD LYCUM (Phrygia) 14mm/4.0gr. Ca 200-100 BC.
Obverse: Draped bust of Aphrodite right, wearing stephane, hair in bun.
Reverse: ΛAOΔIKEΩN. Aphrodite standing left, holding dove, rose with stalk to left.
BMC Phrygia (p.284)27, SNG Copenhagen 497; SNG München 340; HGC 7, 744
SCARCE (R1 per HGC) Laodicea ad Lycum mint

 

Thank you for your kind words! As to the identity of the reverse figure on your middle bronze, it's unclear, as you note. I wonder about SALVTI AVGVSTAE.



Faustina II, AD 147-175.
Roman Æ as or dupondius, 9.62 g, 24.6 mm, 11 h.
Rome, AD 161- c. 164.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, draped bust, right, and wearing strand of pearls around head.
Rev: SALVTI AVGVSTAE S C, Salus seated left, feeding snake coiled round altar from patera in right hand and resting left arm on chair.
Refs: RIC 1671a; BMCRE 992-93; Cohen –; RCV –; MIR 30-7/10b.

 

Thank you for the kind words! What a COOL COIN!!

 

Oh yeah, I can definitely see that it could be a Salus type. I think I'll just make this an "unknown" to be on the safe side.

But while we are on the SALVTI AVGVSTAE types, you have given me an excuse to post my latest Faustina II, a sestertius of the type. As I mentioned above, I am somewhat picker nowadays, but only somewhat, as this one has some issues:


Faustina II Æ Sestertius
(161 - c. 164 A.D.)
Rome Mint
FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, draped bust right, diademed (stephane) / SA[LVTI AVGV]STAE, S C in exergue, Salus seated left, feeding snake coiled round altar from patera in right hand and resting left arm on chair.
RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1668.
(21.27 grams / 29 mm)
eBay Nov. 2021
Note: "All of these Salus seated types appear to have been issued in large quantities over a period of at least two or three years. Even if the original purpose of the issue was in response to some sort of health crisis suffered by the empress after childbirth, the years-long duration of the issues suggests their purpose was not limited to an invocation to the goddess for healing after a temporary obstetrical complication such as hemorrhage or infection.... "
Coin Talk Roman Collector

The quote in my notes section is from an earlier Faustina Friday on this type that was very helpful: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/fa...obstetrical-complication.387451/#post-7940625