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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Roman Collector, post: 3914349, member: 75937&quot;]New information has led me to a complete reinterpretation of the reverse on the denarius with the billowing veil, such as [USER=57495]@zumbly[/USER] &#039;s and this one from my collection ...</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1031744[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Now, two of the standard references (each authored by the same author, however, Harold Mattingly of the British Museum) tentatively identify the figure as Providentia. Here&#039;s the listing in RIC ...</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1031745[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>... and in BMCRE:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1031746[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Temeryazev and Makarenko (p. 50) simply repeat Mattingly in attributing the figure to Providentia.</p><p><br /></p><p>However, as zumbly notes, it has also been attributed to Aeternitas and Urania. This apparently comes from Cohen (Earlier references, Wiczay and Sultzer for example, merely describe her as <i>figura muliebris</i>, &quot;female figure&quot;). Here is the listing in Cohen (see the description of nos. 30-32):</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1031748[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Moreover, Dinsdale (p. 245, n. 5) notes that, in addition to Cohen&#039;s attribution, Strack considers the figure to be that of Aeternitas:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1031749[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>So, there has been considerable uncertainty about the figure&#039;s identity. Here&#039;s the new (to me) information that I think forces us to reconsider the identification of the figure as Providentia. I recently acquired the sestertius with this reverse type:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1031740[/ATTACH]</p><p>Faustina I, AD 138-141.</p><p>Roman orichalcum sestertius, 26.54 g, 33 mm.</p><p>Rome, AD 150-161.</p><p>Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.</p><p>Rev: AETERNITAS, Aeternitas standing left, holding globe and raising above head a starry mantle.</p><p>Refs: RIC 1106; BMCRE 1495-97; Cohen 30; Sear 4610; Strack 1262; Dinsdale 020810.</p><p><br /></p><p>I noticed that in RIC and BMCRE -- despite Mattingly&#039;s uncertainty about the identity of the figure on the denarius version of the coin -- the identity of the female figure on the sestertius is taken to be Aeternitas. Here&#039;s the listing in RIC ...</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1031741[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>... and in BMCRE:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1031742[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Mattingly here unequivocally identifies the figure with Aeternitas, as did Cohen and Strack before him. Moreover, in his introduction to BMCRE4 (p. lxxxiii), he notes ...</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1031743[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>... thus implying that the figure even on the denarius version be taken as Aeternitas.</p><p><br /></p><p>This, particularly in light of the fact that zumbly&#039;s coin shows a figure with stars on her midriff, is strong evidence that the coin&#039;s designer intended the figure to be Aeternitas, not just on the bronze versions of the coin, but on the denarius version as well. Therefore, the <a href="https://research.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1210438&amp;partId=1&amp;searchText=Faustina+374&amp;page=1" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://research.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1210438&amp;partId=1&amp;searchText=Faustina+374&amp;page=1" rel="nofollow">description of the coin at the BMC website</a> or in RIC and BMCRE4 is likely wrong. I think it&#039;s Aeternitas.</p><p><br /></p><p>~~~</p><p><br /></p><p>Cohen, Henry. <i>Description historique des monnaies frappées sous l&#039;Empire Romain, Tome III: de Marc Aurèle à Albin (161 à 197 après J.-C.).</i> Paris, 1883.</p><p><br /></p><p>Dinsdale, Paul H. <i>Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius Caesar AD 138-161: Antonine Coinage.</i> Leeds, Paul H Dinsdale, 2018.</p><p><br /></p><p>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><p><br /></p><p>Mattingly, Harold; Sydenham, Edward A, <i>The Roman imperial coinage, vol. 3: Antoninus Pius to Commodus</i>, London, Spink, 1986.</p><p><br /></p><p>Temeryazev, S. A., and T. P. Makarenko. <i>The Coinage of Roman Empresses, Volume I: Antonia Minor – Didia Clara, 41 – 193 AD</i>, San Bernardino, CreateSpace, an <a href="https://amazon.com/" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://amazon.com/" rel="nofollow">Amazon.com</a> Company, 2017.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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