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<p>[QUOTE="Roman Collector, post: 5308648, member: 75937"]The coinage of Faustina II issued late in the reign of Antoninus Pius is characterized by the obverse inscription FAVSTINA AVGVSTA with the filiation AVGVSTI PII FIL moved to the reverse. The reverses of this series feature Concordia (AR and Æ), Diana (AV), Spes (AR and Æ), Venus Victrix (AR and Æ), Pietas (Æ), Pudicitia (Æ), and Salus (Æ). These deities and personifications are not explicitly labeled as such on the coins,[1] but are identified by their characteristic iconography and attributes. Mattingly[2] dates the series to c. 154-156 or 157; Strack to 156-158.[3] Sear dates the issue somewhat later, to 157-161,[4] despite the evidence set forth by Strack and Mattingly for an earlier date. Mattingly suggests the "issue, perhaps, balances the AVGVSTA reverses of Diva Faustina the Elder, and, in both cases, the Empress may seem to be expressed in her true character though the divine figures associated with her name on reverse."[5]</p><p><br /></p><p>This dupondius is a recent acquisition and features Salus seated.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1223972[/ATTACH]</p><blockquote><p><font size="3">Faustina II, AD 147-175.</font></p><p><font size="3">Roman orichalcum dupondius, 11.69 g, 26.3 mm, 7 h.</font></p><p><font size="3">Rome, AD 154-157.</font></p><p><font size="3">Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.</font></p><p><font size="3">Rev: AVGVSTI PII FIL S C, Salus seated left, feeding out of patera in right hand a snake coiled round altar and holding scepter in left.</font></p><p><font size="3">Refs: <a href="http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.3.ant.1391_dupondius" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.3.ant.1391_dupondius" rel="nofollow">RIC 1391a</a>; BMCRE p. 384*; Cohen 28; Strack 1331; Sear 4723.</font></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>The coin is only known in the middle bronze denomination. It is easily mistaken for a similar issue, the SALVTI AVGVSTI reverse type issued later under Marcus Aurelius, such as <a href="https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/C_R-14360" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/C_R-14360" rel="nofollow">this dupondius</a> in the British Museum collection (BMCRE 993, p.542).</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1223996[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Indeed, of the three middle bronze coins identified during <a href="https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?term=Faustina+RIC+1391&category=1-2&en=1&de=1&fr=1&it=1&es=1&ot=1&images=1&thesaurus=1&order=0&currency=usd&company=" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?term=Faustina+RIC+1391&category=1-2&en=1&de=1&fr=1&it=1&es=1&ot=1&images=1&thesaurus=1&order=0&currency=usd&company=" rel="nofollow">a search for "RIC 1391,"</a> at acsearchinfo, two are misidentified.</p><p><br /></p><p>The coin is scarce. I have compiled an inventory of eight other specimens I could find from online and print sources:</p><p><br /></p><ul> <li>Strack notes one specimen in the Cabinet des Medailles in Paris and three in the Staatliches Münzkabinett in Munich.</li> <li>A specimen was sold by CHS Basel Numismatics on muenzauktion.com, March 2013, which is <a href="http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/sear5/s4723.html#RIC_1391" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/sear5/s4723.html#RIC_1391" rel="nofollow">illustrated at Wildwinds</a>.</li> <li>A specimen appeared at Busso Peus E-Auction 6, <a href="https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=4676648" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=4676648" rel="nofollow">lot 321</a>, 13 Jan. 2018; this same coin appeared Leu Web Auction 4, <a href="https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=5098224" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=5098224" rel="nofollow">lot 850</a>, 24 June 2018.</li> <li>The ANS has <a href="http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.3.ant.1391_dupondius" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.3.ant.1391_dupondius" rel="nofollow">two specimens</a> in their collection.</li> </ul><p><br /></p><p>The coin raises a few questions:</p><p><br /></p><ul> <li>Why might it have been issued only in the middle bronze denomination? <br /> </li> <li>Does the appearance of Salus refer to any specific historical event, such as a health crisis in the imperial family or in the empire at large?</li> <li>Were any examples of this coin found in the Reka Devnia or other published hoards?</li> </ul><p><br /></p><p><i>Post anything you feel is relevant, of course!</i></p><p><br /></p><p>~~~</p><p><br /></p><p>1. Because all coins bear AVGVSTI PII FIL on the reverse.</p><p><br /></p><p>2. Mattingly, Harold, <i>Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, vol. IV: Antoninus Pius to Commodus. Introduction, indexes and plates. </i>London, BMP, 1968, p. xliv. Elsewhere, Mattingly and Sydenham note, "A recent find of Roman gold in Egypt suggests that the omission of this title [AVGVSTI PII FIL] dates from not later than AD 156-157." See Mattingly, Harold and Sydenham, Edward A. <i>The Roman imperial coinage, vol. 3: Antoninus Pius to Commodus</i>, London, Spink, 1986, p. 3, n. 3.</p><p><br /></p><p>3. As noted by Dinsdale, Paul H. <i>Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius Caesar AD 138-161.</i> Leeds, Paul H Dinsdale, 2018, p. 340 and Dinsdale, Paul H. <i>The Reign of Marcus Aurelius with Lucius Verus and Commodus AD 161-180.</i> Leeds, Paul H Dinsdale, 2018, p. 50.</p><p><br /></p><p>4. Sear, David R. <i>Roman Coins and Their Values II: The accession of Nerva to the overthrow of the Severan dynasty AD 96 - AD 235</i>, London, Spink, 2002, p. 285.</p><p><br /></p><p>5. Mattingly, op. cit., p. xciii.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Roman Collector, post: 5308648, member: 75937"]The coinage of Faustina II issued late in the reign of Antoninus Pius is characterized by the obverse inscription FAVSTINA AVGVSTA with the filiation AVGVSTI PII FIL moved to the reverse. The reverses of this series feature Concordia (AR and Æ), Diana (AV), Spes (AR and Æ), Venus Victrix (AR and Æ), Pietas (Æ), Pudicitia (Æ), and Salus (Æ). These deities and personifications are not explicitly labeled as such on the coins,[1] but are identified by their characteristic iconography and attributes. Mattingly[2] dates the series to c. 154-156 or 157; Strack to 156-158.[3] Sear dates the issue somewhat later, to 157-161,[4] despite the evidence set forth by Strack and Mattingly for an earlier date. Mattingly suggests the "issue, perhaps, balances the AVGVSTA reverses of Diva Faustina the Elder, and, in both cases, the Empress may seem to be expressed in her true character though the divine figures associated with her name on reverse."[5] This dupondius is a recent acquisition and features Salus seated. [ATTACH=full]1223972[/ATTACH] [INDENT][SIZE=3]Faustina II, AD 147-175. Roman orichalcum dupondius, 11.69 g, 26.3 mm, 7 h. Rome, AD 154-157. Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: AVGVSTI PII FIL S C, Salus seated left, feeding out of patera in right hand a snake coiled round altar and holding scepter in left. Refs: [URL='http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.3.ant.1391_dupondius']RIC 1391a[/URL]; BMCRE p. 384*; Cohen 28; Strack 1331; Sear 4723.[/SIZE][/INDENT] The coin is only known in the middle bronze denomination. It is easily mistaken for a similar issue, the SALVTI AVGVSTI reverse type issued later under Marcus Aurelius, such as [URL='https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/C_R-14360']this dupondius[/URL] in the British Museum collection (BMCRE 993, p.542). [ATTACH=full]1223996[/ATTACH] Indeed, of the three middle bronze coins identified during [URL='https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?term=Faustina+RIC+1391&category=1-2&en=1&de=1&fr=1&it=1&es=1&ot=1&images=1&thesaurus=1&order=0¤cy=usd&company=']a search for "RIC 1391,"[/URL] at acsearchinfo, two are misidentified. The coin is scarce. I have compiled an inventory of eight other specimens I could find from online and print sources: [LIST] [*]Strack notes one specimen in the Cabinet des Medailles in Paris and three in the Staatliches Münzkabinett in Munich. [*]A specimen was sold by CHS Basel Numismatics on muenzauktion.com, March 2013, which is [URL='http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/sear5/s4723.html#RIC_1391']illustrated at Wildwinds[/URL]. [*]A specimen appeared at Busso Peus E-Auction 6, [URL='https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=4676648']lot 321[/URL], 13 Jan. 2018; this same coin appeared Leu Web Auction 4, [URL='https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=5098224']lot 850[/URL], 24 June 2018. [*]The ANS has [URL='http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.3.ant.1391_dupondius']two specimens[/URL] in their collection. [/LIST] The coin raises a few questions: [LIST] [*]Why might it have been issued only in the middle bronze denomination? [*]Does the appearance of Salus refer to any specific historical event, such as a health crisis in the imperial family or in the empire at large? [*]Were any examples of this coin found in the Reka Devnia or other published hoards? [/LIST] [I]Post anything you feel is relevant, of course![/I] ~~~ 1. Because all coins bear AVGVSTI PII FIL on the reverse. 2. Mattingly, Harold, [I]Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, vol. IV: Antoninus Pius to Commodus. Introduction, indexes and plates. [/I]London, BMP, 1968, p. xliv. Elsewhere, Mattingly and Sydenham note, "A recent find of Roman gold in Egypt suggests that the omission of this title [AVGVSTI PII FIL] dates from not later than AD 156-157." See Mattingly, Harold and Sydenham, Edward A. [I]The Roman imperial coinage, vol. 3: Antoninus Pius to Commodus[/I], London, Spink, 1986, p. 3, n. 3. 3. As noted by Dinsdale, Paul H. [I]Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius Caesar AD 138-161.[/I] Leeds, Paul H Dinsdale, 2018, p. 340 and Dinsdale, Paul H. [I]The Reign of Marcus Aurelius with Lucius Verus and Commodus AD 161-180.[/I] Leeds, Paul H Dinsdale, 2018, p. 50. 4. Sear, David R. [I]Roman Coins and Their Values II: The accession of Nerva to the overthrow of the Severan dynasty AD 96 - AD 235[/I], London, Spink, 2002, p. 285. 5. Mattingly, op. cit., p. xciii.[/QUOTE]
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