These coins are quite common, so I decided to put together a set of Faustina Junior coins from Pautalia in Thrace depicting a variety of reverse types. All of them are about 21 mm in size and all bear the obverse inscription ΦΑVCΤΕΙΝΑ CΕΒΑCΤΗ and the reverse inscription ΟVΛΠΙΑC ΠΑVΤΑΛΙΑC. Post your provincials from Pautalia, especially Faustina Junior. I'd love to see them! 5.96 gm; 20.7 mm Demeter seated l., with corn ears and long torch. BMC-9; Ruzicka-95; Moushmov-4104; Schönert-Geiss-58 7.19 gm; 21.7 mm Athena seated l., holding owl and spear, resting foot on stool, shield at base of chair. BMC-10 var*; Ruzicka-108; Moushmov-4112 6.57 gm; 21.7 mm Pallas Nikephoros (or Roma?), seated l., holding Nike and spear. BMC-10 var*; Ruzicka-112; Moushmov-4113 *The BMC (Vol 3, p. 142) appears to conflate the above two coins portraying Athena. Its listing reads, "Pallas Nikephoros, seated l., resting on spear, at her side, shield." The confusion arises because the Athena holding Nike coin has no shield; on the coin which has the shield, Athena is holding an owl. 5.99 gm; 20.1 mm Hygeia standing r., feeding a serpent from a patera. BMC-11; Ruzicka-121; Moushmov-4115; Varbanov-2848 6.28 gm; 23.6 mm Tyche standing l., holding rudder and cornucopiae. BMC-12; Ruzicka-147; Moushmov-4114 6.0 gm; 21.0 mm Hera standing l., holding patera and scepter. BMC-13; Ruzicka-69; Moushmov-4118; Varbanov-4478
Gerhard Rohde notes, "This coin is part of a large hoard consisting of 673 pieces of Faustina II plus 4 coins of Crispina. It hit the market abt. 15 - 20 years ago without any information on site or circumstances how it was found. The coins were not cleaned but show a uniformly shiny patina. Many are extremely worn. Still, all coins are attributed with special consideration of die varieties. Nobody knows why this hoard consists of Faustina II. coins only (the 4 Crispina coins might have been taken erroneously in because in a worn state, they like very similar to Faustina coins.) My wild guess is that these coins were used as tokens, perhaps long after devaluation by Roman soldiers in a kind of poker game. The lucky winner went away with a leather bag full of these coins just to hide it somewhere before going into battle from which he did not made it back. Of course, this is guess-work only, there is absolutely no evidence. Pautalia is represented with 76 different obverse dies of Faustina II. alone!"
Very nice! The first two have particularly attractive portraits. An interesting theory! I had wondered about the massive number of Faustina II bronzes offered by this dealer recently. ... As sometimes happens, I just posted my sole Pautalia provincial yesterday in another thread THRACE, Pautalia. Caracalla CE 198-217 AE29, 16.4 gm Obv: AYT K M AY CEY ANTΩNEINOC; Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right Rev: OYΛΠIAC ΠAYTAΛIAC; Asklepios, holding a caduceus, seated on back of winged serpent flying right Ref: Varbanov 5007 Caracalla has a large number of coins depicting Asklepios, as well as bunches of coins with medical themes. In 214 he traveled the shrine of Askelpios in Pergamum. From Cassius Dio, Roman History, LXXVIII.15: For he was sick not only in body, partly from visible partly from secret ailments, but in mind as well, suffering from certain distressing visions, and often he thought he was being pursued by his father and by his brother, armed with swords. Therefore he called up spirits to find some remedy against them, among others the spirit of his father and that of Commodus. But not one of them spoke a word to him except Commodus; as for Severus, they say that Geta accompanied him, though unsummoned. Yet not even Commodus said anything to help him, but, quite the contrary, so that he terrified him all the more; for this is what he said: "Draw nearer judgment, which gods demand of thee for Severus," then something else, and finally: "Having in secret placed a malady hard to be cured." For publishing these facts many were treated with gross indignities. But to Antoninus no one even of the gods gave any response that conduced to healing either his body or his mind, although he paid homage to all the more prominent ones. This showed most clearly that they regarded, not his votive offerings or his sacrifices, but only his purposes and his deeds. He received no help from Apollo Grannus, nor yet from Aesculapius or Serapis, in spite of his many supplications and his unwearying persistence. For even while abroad he sent to them prayers, sacrifices and votive offerings, and many couriers ran hither and thither every day carrying something of this kind; and he also went to them himself, hoping to prevail by appearing in person, and did all that devotees are wont to do; but he obtained nothing that contributed to health. ... It seems Caracalla at least had some self-awareness of his problems.
Terrific examples!! I LOVE the style and the devices!! I don't believe I have any from Pautalia, Thrace
I added a few more to this set: 6.94 gm; 21.1 mm Obv: ΦΑVCΤΕΙΝ Α CΕΒΑCΤΗ, bare headed and draped bust, r. Rev: ΟVΛΠΙΑC ΠΑVΤΑΛΙΑC, Hygeia standing r., holding patera in l. hand, feeding snake wound around stele and extending head l. Ruzicka 127; Moushmov 4116 6.32 gm; 22.1 mm Obv: ΦΑVCΤ ΕΙΝΑCΕΒΑCΤΗ, bare headed and draped bust, r. Rev: ΟVΛΠΙΑCΠ Α VΤΑΛΙΑC, Demeter (Ruzicka) or Persephone (BMC) standing l., holding patera over flaming altar, and holding long torch. BMC 8; Ruzicka 85; Varbanov 4470
