Happy Friday, all! Today we're going to explore one of the rarest hairstyles on Faustina's coinage, no matter the metal, the Beckmann type three hairstyle. The hairstyle was in use for a short time only, likely in AD 151-152, because it appears for the first time in Beckmann's die-linkage study with the FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII FIL obverse inscription, which was in use for about seven or eight months, from the end of summer AD 151 to about June AD 152,[1] and stops shortly after the reinstitution of the FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL legend in the summer of 152, after which time the portrait reverts back to the earlier type 2 portrait.[2] Here is an example of a denarius from my collection with a Beckmann type 2 portrait for comparison. Faustina II, AD 147-175. Roman AR Denarius, 2.84 g, 18.5 mm, 6 h. Rome, c. Autumn-late AD 151. Obv: FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII FIL, bare-headed and draped bust right. Rev: CONCORDIA, Concordia standing facing, head left, holding skirt and cornucopiae. Refs: RIC III 501 (Pius); BMCRE 1078 note (Pius); Cohen/RSC 46; RCV --; CRE 166; ERIC II --. The type 3 portrait depicts Faustina with a series of horizontal waves in her hair gathered in a bun that is large and placed fairly high on the back of the skull. It reminds me of Julia Domna's hairstyle in many ways. A sculpture of Faustina in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens best illustrates this. Portrait head of the empress Faustina the Younger. Thasian marble. Found in Athens. Accession number: 442. National Archaeological Museum of Athens. Athens, Greece. Photo by George E. Koronaios and used by permission. The same sculpture in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. Photo by Giovanni Dall'Orto and used by permission. Here are examples of silver and gold coinage featuring the Beckmann type 3 hairstyle. Aureus, RIC 503. Künker, Auction 304, lot 1183, 19 March 2018. Unique denarius featuring Beckmann’s type 3 hairstyle and the FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII FIL obverse legend. Aureo & Calicó S.L., IMAGINES IMPERATORUM lot 120, 15 February 2012. The hairstyle is quite rare on bronze coinage. Beckmann incorrectly reports its use in bronze is limited to "a single dupondius (BMCRE Pius 2172) ... depicting Venus standing with staff ..."[3] For I am aware of at least two other examples of a middle bronze with this bust type, ANS 1995.11.472 and this one in my own collection. Faustina II, AD 147-175. Roman Æ as or dupondius, 9.96 g, 26 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 2170-72; Cohen 251; RCV --; Strack 1311. Moreover, I had the opportunity to acquire this sestertius for my own collection, which depicts Faustina II with the Beckmann type 3 hairstyle and the same Venus standing with apple and scepter reverse type as the middle bronzes described above. 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 1387b; BMCRE 2168; Cohen 250; RCV --; Strack 1311. Now, I don't expect anyone to have a Faustina coin with this hairstyle (though if you do, please show it off!), so let's just see whatever Faustina II coins you would like to show off! ~~~ Notes 1. Curtis L. Clay elucidated this chronology by comparing the denarii of Pius, Marcus Aurelius and Faustina and their representation in the Reka Devnia hoard, personal communication, 13 September, 2021. 2. Beckmann, Martin, Faustina the Younger: Coinage, Portraits, and Public Image, A.N.S. Numismatic Studies 43, American Numismatic Society, New York, 2021, p. 44. 3. Ibid., p. 46.
This should be a Beckmann 3 type ? Faustina II AR-Denar, Rome Obv.: FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL, draped bust right, unusual hairstyle (unbroken legend) Rev.: CONCORDIA, Concordia seated left holding flower, resting elbow on cornucopia, which is by her chair; under chair globe. Ag, 18mm, 3.49g Ref.: RIC III 502a3 var., CRE 167 var.(hairstyle)
I am taking tomorrow off, so today is Faustina Friday to me. Thanks for another informative writeup, @Roman Collector. Looks like I don't have a type 3 Faustina hairstyle, only type 2.
It's Friday for me too! That is a very nice Denarius RC! I finally took a mediocre pic of this one. Obv: FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL / draped bust right, no hair accessories around head. Rev: VENVS / Venus standing left with apple and dolphin-entwined rudder.
I tried to google her hairstyles types , the first result was another thread of yours: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/th...-on-denarii-issued-by-marcus-aurelius.356798/ These are my latest Faustina II coins, I received the sestertius few hours ago. I think both are the 2b type ? Faustina II AE Sestertius, RIC 1654 FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, draped bust right, wearing a strand of pearls / LAETITIA S-C, Laetitia standing left holding wreath & scepter. Cohen 149. 32 mm / 20.1 g Faustina II Denarius, RIC 696 FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, draped bust right wearing strand of pearls / IVNONI REGINAE, Juno standing left holding patera & long scepter, peacock at foot left. RSC 139a. 18 mm / 3.1 g
Both type 7. I'll have to do a Faustina Friday about all of her different hairstyles. Beckmann identified 10!
Faustina II, AE23 of Bizya, Thrace. Moushmov 3458; Varbanov 1439 ΦAYCTEINA CEBACTH, draped bust right / BIZYHNΩN, Artemis huntress, in short tunic, walking right, holding bow in left hand and reaching for an arrow from quiver. 23 mm / 8.1 g Faustina II AE Sesterius, RIC 1642, Cohen 112, BMC 911 FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, draped bust right / HILARITAS S-C, Hilaritas standing left, holding long palm and cornucopiae. 31 mm / 20.4 mm