Faustina the Elder AR denarius: Wife of Emperor A. Pius

Here is a budget acquisition for me...as I'm not looking to spend much after recent purchases. I'd love to do a detailed account of the wife of Antoninus Pius, but there isn't that much to say about her except that she was a loving and dedicated wife, and mother to Faustina the Younger, future wife of Marcus Aurelius.

This is a decent denarius commemorating her after death. Nothing fancy, but I think the portrait style is nice and the price was cheap.


Diva Faustina, Issue by A. Pius, after 147 AD
Silver Denarius, Rome Mint, 19mm, 3.23 grams
Obverse: DIVA FAVSTINA, Draped bust of Faustina right.
Reverse: AVGVSTA, Vesta standing left holding simpulum and palladium.
RIC368

And thanks to @Ken Dorney who always has nice decent budget Roman silver at his vcoins store for those looking for something nice on a modest budget.

Feel free to post your Faustina the Elder coins.

 

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Gee, thanks Oz. Though my wife is currently making spaghetti dinner, I got it packed and will be in tomorrows mail!

 

What a nice example. Well struck and centered with an attractive portrait.

I don't collect the ladies but when I saw this one I thought it was special enough to snag. I had never seen the reverse with the peacock on the throne. That along with really beautiful toning meant it found a home in my collection.

 

Nice silver, Faustina coins are fun to get. You can usually find them nice and affordable.


and here is a Faustina in bronze.

 

that's a pretty nice coin of one of the ladies of rome. i have this coin i believe to be of her, but am at a loss to explain the several cut marks on the bust of her. i bought this early in my collecting frenzy thinking to was of constantine's wife who had crispus killed, but it's faustina

 

that is a neat coin. i can see why it spoke to you.

 

I like Faustina I, for her coins are plentiful and inexpensive, even in high-grades. Granted, they mostly say AVGVSTA or AETERNITAS, but they portray a variety of deities on the reverses. No aurei, but here's a Denarius, a Sestertius, and a minor bronze:

 

I'm not a big fan of Faustina I coins, but that is a very nice example @Sallent.

 

not a fan of her coins eh?.. that's quite a few to have for not being one

 

What can I say. I buy coins that strike my fancy, but I'm still not a fan.

 

truly a collectors motto sir...

 

i finally checked her off my list last month!!

 

Great detailed denarius Sallent, I am seeing some good coins coming from Ken in recent weeks. The two Faustina I have both show her completed temple in the forum, one denarius and a very scarce sestertius.

 

I'm on my iPad, hard to do search and copy but I have the exact type that's been posted dozens of times. One can search to see it.

But it is fairly rare.

 

Nice coin and Ken is the best.

 

Here's my Faustina I:


Diva Faustina the elder AR Denarius.
Obverse: DIVA FAVSTINA, draped bust right.
Reverse:AVG-VSTA, Ceres, veiled, standing left, holding torch & raising robe.
Weight: 2.81g.
Diameter: 16.7mm.
Ref: RIC 362.

This was my first ancient coin!

 

Looks like it was minted yesterday.

 

It's a nice one.

 

I like Faustina's (both Sr and Jr) coins - cheap and abundant, but also underappreciated. The thing I find both interesting and somewhat frustrating are the variations in her portrait. There are the characteristic portraits (Sallust's denarius is a nice example of this) and then the variations, some of which are almost unrecognizable. Sometimes these variations appear to be barbaric imitations, bug eyes, pencil neck, etc. This seems especially true of the posthumous issues. Bing's examples are interesting - quite a few variations here. Anyway, nice batch of Faustina's you all have (and Nemo, I agree - the toning on your Peacock-Throne is terrific).