Faustina Friday -- Pietas and altar varieties

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Roman Collector, Nov 6, 2020.

  1. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    This one's a new arrival. We know from die-linkage studies of the corresponding aureii that these coins with the PIETAS reverse inscription and with Pietas sacrificing over an altar or candelabrum were part of the first phase of issues for the newly deceased Faustina and deal with her funeral and deification. An aureus with this reverse of Pietas sacrificing over a candelabrum appears muled with an aureus of Antoninus Pius bearing the inscription ANTONINVS AVG PIVS PP TR P COS III, establishing a date of AD 140-144 with certainty.*

    [​IMG]
    Faustina I, AD 138-140.
    Roman AR denarius, 3.19 g, 18.2 mm, 7 h.
    Rome, AD 140-44.
    Obv: DIVA AVG FAVSTINA, Bust of Faustina I, veiled and draped, right.
    Rev: PEITAS AVG, Pietas, veiled and draped, standing left, dropping incense on candelbrum with right hand and holding box in left hand.
    Refs: RIC 395c; BMC 318; Cohen/RSC 236; Strack 429; RCV --; CRE 118.

    This is the veiled bust variety. She joins her bare-headed sister:

    [​IMG]
    Faustina I, AD 138-141.
    Roman AR denarius, 3.47 g, 19.0 mm, 12 h.
    Rome, AD 140-44.
    Obv: DIVA AVG FAVSTINA, veiled and draped bust, right.
    Rev: Pietas, veiled and draped, standing left, dropping incense on lighted candelabrum with right hand and holding box in left hand.
    Refs: RIC 395c(a); BMCRE 315-17; RSC/Cohen 237; Strack 429; RCV --; CRE 117.

    At least ten different denarii feature Pietas, if you count variations in the attitude of the deity, the inscriptions and the bust types. She is always depicted with an altar at her feet. More frequently, and in contrast to the candelabrum-types depicted above, the altar is cylindrical in shape, such as:

    [​IMG]
    Faustina I, AD 138-141.
    Roman AR denarius, 2.73 g, 17.5 mm, 7 h.
    Rome, AD 140-144.
    Obv: DIVA AVG FAVSTINA, veiled and draped bust, right.
    Rev: Pietas, veiled and draped, standing left, dropping incense on lighted altar with right hand and holding box in left hand.
    Refs: RIC 394b var. (denarius); BMCRE 311-314 var. (bust); RSC 234a; Strack 428; RCV --; CRE 120.

    There is, of course, a matching bare-headed version of this coin:

    Faustina Sr PIETAS AVG altar denarius.jpg
    Faustina I, AD 138-141.
    Roman AR denarius, 2.29 g, 18.6 mm, 8 h.
    Rome, AD 140-144.
    Obv: DIVA AVG FAVSTINA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
    Rev: Pietas, veiled and draped, standing left, dropping incense on lighted altar with right hand and holding box in left hand.
    Refs: RIC 394a; BMCRE 311-314; RSC/Cohen 234; Strack 428; RCV 4598; CRE 114.

    Post anything you feel is relevant!

    ~~~

    *Beckmann, Martin. Diva Faustina: Coinage and Cult in Rome and the Provinces. American Numismatic Society, 2012, p. 7.
     
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  3. randygeki

    randygeki Coin Collector

    f023.JPG

    Diva Faustina Senior Æ Sestertius. DIVA FAVSTINA, draped bust right / AVGVSTA S-C, Pietas standing left, sacrificing from raised hand over flaming altar at feet left, & holding box of incense. RIC III 1127, Cohen 125
     
  4. Marsyas Mike

    Marsyas Mike Well-Known Member

    I have really come to look forward to Faustina Friday - great coins and an interesting post, RC. It made me think about my own Pietas issues of Faustina I - I had more than I thought I did and since it is a lovely Fall day here, I thought I'd take some photos with my attributions (corrections always welcome):

    Three denarii - RIC 374, 394a and 395Ca. The one on the right features the candelabrum; the other two altars.
    Faustina I - Denarius Pietas RIC 274, 394 395 (0).jpg

    Two asses - RIC 1161 and RIC 1162a - altar and no altar. The second one without an altar has the AETERNITAS legend, but from what I found, that is supposed to be Pietas?

    Faustina I - As Pietas 1161 & 1162a (0).jpg

    A dupondius (or as - it weights 11.97 grams), RIC 1192Aa with candelabrum:
    Faustina I - Dup or as Pietas RIC 1192 As (0).jpg

    Sestertius, RIC 1127 with altar:

    Faustina I - Sest. Pietas RIC 1127 (0).jpg

    Two sestertii with the candelabrum - veiled head, with and without stephane, RIC 1146Ab and 1146Ac

    Faustina I - Sest. Pietas RIC 1146 Ab and Ac (0).jpg

    Sestertius, candelabrum without the veil, RIC 1146Aa:

    Faustina I - Sest. Pietas RIC 1146Aa (0).jpg
     
  5. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    Nice subcollection, @Marsyas Mike! I can't get enough of Faustina!
    Yep! Antoninus Pius was all about piety!

    Despite the lack of the altar, the coin depicts Pietas, indeed. See the British Museum specimen.
     
    Marsyas Mike likes this.
  6. Ryro

    Ryro Trying to remove supporter status

    Wonderful spread RC:artist:
    I must admit I loooove your fascination with this ancient beauty with the silly hair. :)
    If I may ask, how many Faustinas do you have?:pompous:
    20191222_193048_2AA9B0B3-0F03-4A2A-A50B-889FBAF1F45B-3045-000004006B3560CA.jpg share111460110095009494.png
     
  7. Marsyas Mike

    Marsyas Mike Well-Known Member

    Faustina Friday Redux!

    Since this was posted originally, I got another Faustina I with Pietas. This is similar to the 1192Aa I posted above, but this is 1192Ab with a veiled bust.

    Not very pretty, but I'm always glad to find a veiled Faustina. This was hard to attribute because the reverse is so damaged, but Pietas seems to be the likely type (corrections always welcome). Given the weight and wear, it could be a dupondius, but the thick green patina makes it impossible to see the metal, so as/dupondius it is:

    Faustina I - As veiled Pietas lot Jun 2021 (0).jpg
    Faustina I Æ As / Dupondius
    1st Phase: funeral, deification
    (c. 140-143 A.D.) Rome Mint

    [DI]VA AVGVSTA FAVSTIN[A], veiled and draped bust right / [PIETAS AVG] S-C, Pietas standing left, holding incense box and dropping incense onto onto [candelabrum-altar left].
    RIC 1192Ab (as / dupondius)
    (11.99 grams / 26 mm)
    eBay June 2021
     
  8. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    Cool! I think I see a candelabrum style altar, such as on this dupondius in my collection, also with a veiled bust.

    Faustina Sr PIETAS AVG S C candelabrum dupondius veiled.jpg

    Faustina I, AD 138-140.
    Roman orichalcum dupondius, 10.26 g, 27.4 mm, 6 h.
    Rome, AD 140-41.
    Obv: DIVA AVGVS-TA FAVSTINA, veiled and draped bust, right.
    Rev: PIETAS AVG S C, Pietas, veiled, draped, standing left, dropping incense out of right hand over lighted "candelabrum-altar," left, and holding box in left hand.
    Refs: RIC 1192Ab; BMCRE 1472; Cohen 241; Strack 1241; RCV --.
     
  9. Marsyas Mike

    Marsyas Mike Well-Known Member

    So that's what my coin is supposed to look like! Nice example...:)
     
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