Faustina Friday – Venus Standing Left, Holding Apple and Scepter

Happy Friday, everyone! Today I'm going to explore a large issue of Faustina the Younger which dominated her coinage in the early 150s AD: the type bearing the VENVS reverse inscription and depicting Venus standing left, holding an apple and scepter. The issue was struck in all metals, and features the empress in three different hairstyles, two different obverse inscriptions, and both right- and left-facing busts. If it seems familiar, it's because Venus was the single most common goddess to be portrayed on the coins of Faustina the Younger. Don't confuse this issue with the earlier emission depicting Venus with an apple and rudder about which a dolphin is entwined. We have a lot of material to cover, so kick back, listen to the lovely music by Gustav Holst about the planet named after Venus, and enjoy the coins! Unless otherwise noted, all coins reside in my own collection.



The iconography of the goddess

Venus was honored as the ancestral goddess of every emperor's family even after the end of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. On coins, she may be depicted with a variety of accoutrements, such as an apple, a mirror, a statuette of Victory, a helmet, dolphin, or scepter.[1] As Venus Victrix and Venus Genetrix, she was the goddess featured most frequently on Roman imperial coinage, and, except for Victoria/Nike, the one whose image endured longest on coinage.[2] From the time of the Antoninines, representations of the goddess as genetrix and victrix became iconographically very similar, implying a connection between Venus's roles as mother and bringer of victory.[3] In both aspects, she typically holds an apple and the scepter of divine authority, the hasta pura. The apple likely alludes to the judgement of Paris, an episode in the story of the Trojan war involving a contest between the three most beautiful goddesses of Olympus—Aphrodite, Hera and Athena—for the prize of a golden apple addressed "To the Fairest."[4]

Roman mosaic pavement from the Atrium House triclinium in Antioch-on-the-Orontes, depicting the Judgement of Paris, c. AD 150, Paris, Musée du Louvre, catalog no. Ma3443. Note all the goddesses hold the hasta pura as a symbol of divine authority. Image used with permission.​

With obverse inscription FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII FIL

Venus with apple and scepter coins with this obverse inscription were issued only in the bronze denominations. The empress may be depicted wearing either the Beckmann type 2 or 3 hairstyles. A handful of middle bronzes are known with a left-facing bust.

Sestertius depicting the empress wearing the Beckmann type 2 hairstyle, RIC 1387(6). British Museum collection.​

Faustina II, AD 147-175.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 24.00 g, 32.2 mm, 5 h.
Rome, mid AD 151-mid AD 152.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII FIL, bare-headed and draped bust, right (Beckmann type 3 hairstyle).
Rev: VENVS S C, Venus standing left, holding apple and scepter.
Refs: RIC 1387(6); BMCRE 2168; Cohen 250; RCV –; Strack 1311.​

Faustina II, AD 147-175.
Roman Æ as or dupondius, 13.18 g, 26.6 mm, 6 h.
Rome, mid AD 151-mid AD 152.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII FIL, bare-headed and draped bust, right (Beckmann type 2 hairstyle).
Rev: VENVS S C, Venus standing left, holding apple and scepter.
Refs: RIC 1408(6); BMCRE 2170-71; Cohen 251; RCV –; Strack 1311.​

Faustina II, AD 147-175.
Roman Æ as or dupondius, 9.95 g, 26.4 mm, 7 h.
Rome, mid AD 151-mid AD 152.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII FIL, bare-headed and draped bust, right (Beckmann type 3 hairstyle).
Rev: VENVS S C, Venus standing left, holding apple and scepter.
Refs: RIC 1408(6); BMCRE 2172; Cohen 251; RCV –; Strack 1311.​

Middle bronze depicting the empress wearing the Beckmann type 3 hairstyle and a left-facing bust, BMCRE 2171n. Dr. Busso Peus Nachfolger, Auction 417, lot 335, 2 November 2016.​

With obverse inscription FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL

Venus with apple and scepter coins with this obverse inscription were issued only in the aureus, sestertius, and middle bronze denominations. The empress is depicted wearing the Beckmann type 2 hairstyle on the bronze and the type 5 hairstyle on the aureus. One obverse aureus die and two specimens of a sestertius (obverse die-matches) are known with a left-facing bust.

Aureus of the empress wearing the Beckmann type 5 hairstyle, Autumn AD 154 to end 155, RIC 513b. British Museum collection.​

Faustina II, AD 147-175.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 24.05 g, 31.7 mm, 6 h.
Rome, mid AD 152-Autumn 154.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL, bare-headed and draped bust, right (Beckmann type 2 hairstyle).
Rev: VENVS S C, Venus standing left, holding apple and scepter.
Refs: RIC 1387(3); BMCRE 2185-86; Cohen 252; RCV 4719; Strack 1322.​

Faustina II, AD 147-175.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 18.93 g, 31.7 mm, 5 h.
Rome, mid AD 152-autumn 154.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL, bare-headed and draped bust, left.
Rev: VENVS S C, Venus standing left, holding apple and scepter.
Refs: RIC –; BMCRE 2185n.; Cohen –; RCV –; Strack 1322. ​

Faustina II, AD 147-175.
Roman Æ as or dupondius, 10.53 g, 28.5 mm, 7 h.
Rome, mid AD 152-Autumn 154.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL, bare-headed and draped bust, right (Beckmann type 2 hairstyle).
Rev: VENVS S C, Venus standing left, holding apple and scepter.
Refs: RIC 1408(3); BMCRE 2193; Cohen 253; RCV 4735; Strack 1322.​

Dating the issue

I have previously noted how the FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL legend was used at two different times on the early coinage for Faustina the Younger. Our own @curtislclay, by comparing the denarii of Pius, Marcus Aurelius and Faustina and their representation in the Reka Devnia hoard, elucidated an absolute chronology for the silver issues of Faustina II. In the course of this work, he concluded that the FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL legend was in use for about four or five months beginning about May AD 151, followed by the FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII FIL legend, which was in use for about seven or eight months, from the end of summer AD 151 to about June AD 152, after which it reverted to the FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL legend, which was in use through the end of AD 155.[5] Beckmann recently demonstrated this reversion of the obverse legend also occurred on Faustina's aurei.[6] The type 3 hairstyle reverted to the type 2 hairstyle as well.[7]

Although neither Curtis Clay nor Beckmann studied the empress's bronze issues, it's a reasonable assumption to assume this reversion of the obverse legend and hairstyle also occurred on these denominations at the same time as on the aurei and denarii.

Because the aureus of this reverse type with the shorter FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL legend is known only with the Beckmann type 5 hairstyle, which was introduced about Autumn AD 154, per Curtis Clay's research,[8] the coins of this reverse type bearing the shorter obverse inscription must belong to the second period in which the FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL legend was in use. Beckmann's die-linkage study of Faustina's aurei demonstrates the type 5 portrait was introduced with the VENVS with apple and scepter reverse type late in the sequence,[9] and that this reverse type was the empress's last type until the filiation was moved to the reverse of her coinage and the Diana type was introduced.[10] Curtis Clay's research demonstrates this occurred very early in in Pius' TR P XIX, January AD 156.[11]

I therefore date the coins with the FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII FIL legend to mid AD 151-mid AD 152, the bronze coins with the FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL legend to mid AD 152-Autumn 154, and the aureus to Autumn AD 154 to end 155. It is likely that when the aureus of the Venus with apple and scepter reverse type was in production, the workshop responsible for the bronze denominations had entirely switched the reverse type to the production of the anepigraphic Diana with arrow and bow design. I want to caution the reader, however, that in Beckmann's study, the situation is complicated and not entirely linear, with overlap between and possibly simultaneous use of the various legends and of the empress's various hairstyles. We have no similar die-linkage studies of the silver and no studies at all of the bronze issues with these legends and their absolute dating is fraught with difficulty.

The purpose of the issue

This reverse type was used for years and therefore the type does not appear to have been issued to commemorate any specific event in the life of Faustina the Younger. Rather, it appears to be what is termed an allegorical type, honoring Venus herself as mother and protectress of the Roman people.

~~~

Notes

1. Vagi, David L. Coinage and History of the Roman Empire. Vol. 2, Coinworld, 1999, p. 75.

2. Venus Genetrix appears on the coinage of Galeria Valeria, daughter of Diocletian and wife of Galerius, up to AD 311.

3. Angelova, Diliana. Sacred Founders: Women, Men, and Gods in the Discourse of Imperial Founding, Rome through Early Byzantium. University of California Press, 2015, p. 89.

4. Welch, Bill. "Venus on Roman Coins." What I Like About Ancient Coins, https://www.forumancientcoins.com/moonmoth/reverse_venus.html.

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

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

7. Beckmann, op. cit., p. 44.

8. Curtis L. Clay, personal communication, 13 September, 2021. This is based upon British hoard data. See Clay, Curtis L. "The Supply of Bronze Coins to Britain in the Second Century." Numismatic Chronicle, vol. 149, 1989, p. 216.

9. Beckmann, op. cit., p. 49 and figure 3.7, p. 43.

10. Beckmann, op. cit., p. 51.

11. post #9 in "Faustina Friday – a Couple of Anepigraphic Bronzes." Coin Talk, 13 Nov. 2020, https://www.cointalk.com/threads/faustina-friday-a-couple-of-anepigraphic-bronzes.369904/.

 

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Happy Friday, RC. Looks like my Faustina II / Venus with apple and scepter are both type 2 hairstyle.

AE As


Sestertius

 

Very nice! And they have the earlier ANTONINI inscription.

 

@Roman Collector..Great informative thread!
'The Golden Apple' is there any controversy as to the depiction actually being a pomegranite?...Seem to remember reading this somewhere?
No Faustina Venus here but do have a Lucilla..
Lucilla Denarius...165-169 AD Rome 2.64g...18mm
Obverse- LVCILLAE AVG ANTONINI AVG F, draped bust right
Reverse- VENVS, Venus standing left, holding apple and sceptre.
RIC#784

 

Great presentation, @Roman Collector.

I have two coins depicting Venus standing left holding a scepter and what may be an apple -- one from Julia Soaemias and one from Severina.

Julia Soaemias (mother of Elagabalus). AR Denarius 220-221 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Draped bust right, IVLIA SOAEMIAS AVG / Rev. Venus standing facing, head left, holding apple & scepter; large star in right field, VENVS CAELESTIS.* RIC IV-2 241 (Elagabalus); RSC III 8b. 18 mm., 2.85 g.

[This is the dealer's photo, and I am now reminded that I need to take a new photo of the reverse -- it isn't really that blurry!]


* Roman equivalent of the Greek Aphrodite Ourania, who was associated in Greco-Roman mythography with the eastern goddess Astarte (a/k/a Ishtar, Ashtaroth, etc.)

Severina (wife of Aurelian), billon Denarius, issue 11, early-Sep 275 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Diademed, draped bust right, SEVERINA AVG / Rev. Venus Felix stdg. left holding apple(?) & sceptre, VENVS FELIX. In exergue: Γ [gamma] (Rome, Officina 3). RIC V-1 6, Cohen 14, Sear RCV III 11709; MER/RIC [Monnaies de l’Empire Romain/Roman Imperial Coinage] 1857 (temp.) (see http://www.ric.mom.fr/en/coin/1857) .19 mm., 2.1 g.


[It's either an apple or a golf ball on a tee.]


Plus one with Venus holding an apple but no scepter:

Galeria Valeria (wife of Galerius and daughter of Diocletian). AE Follis, 308-310 AD, Cyzicus Mint (4th Officina). Obv. Diademed and draped bust right, GAL VAL-ERIA AVG / Rev. Venus standing facing, head left, right hand holding up apple, left hand raising drapery over left shoulder, VENERI V-ICTRICI; Δ [Delta = 4th Officina] in left field; MKV [Cyzicus] in exergue. RIC VI Cyzicus 46 (p. 586), Sear RCV IV 14597. 24x26 mm., 5.7 g.

 

I'm telling you, @Severus Alexander and I have identified it as a miniature poodle!