I was most certainly not looking for a Faustina denarius, but simply couldn't let this one go. I was amazed about the youthful and lively portrait of Faustina. Most of her coins have a somewhat 'stiff' portrait. This portrait is somehow different. But maybe that is just me . Faustina Minor (the younger) was an important figure in Roman history. She was the daughter of emperor Antoninus Pius and empress Faustina the elder. She married the next emperor in line Marcus Aurelius and was the mother of emperor Commodus. Not much has survived from the Roman sources regarding her life, but what is available does certainly not look good for her. She has been accused of ordering deaths by poison and execution. She has also been accused of instigating the revolt of general Avidius Cassius against her husband. Probably because she didn't want her son Commodus to rule (and she was right about that!). Faustina accompanied her husband on military campaigns and much enjoyed it. Marcus Aurelius therefore gave her the title of Mater Castrorum, meaning ‘Mother of the Camp’. This denarius was struck in Rome under emperor Antoninus Pius, circa 147-150 AD. Faustina was born around 130 AD (there is no certainty about her day of birth). She therefore was a young woman at the time this coin was struck. Faustina II. Augusta, denarius. Rome mint. Struck under Antoninus Pius, circa 147-150 AD. 3.55 gm, 19mm. Obv. FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL, draped bust right, with hair tied in pearls. Rev. VENVS, Venus standing left, holding apple in right hand and dolphin-entwined rudder in left. RIC III 517c (Antoninus Pius).
Ahhh thats where she went!.....I was just about to buy this one from Tom and you beat me to it....Its a great looking coin with , as you said, a much more interesting portrait! Congrats I love it! I only have one of hers.... Faustina II Junior Silver Denarius 3.36g.,17mm, Rome mint, A.D. 154-156, Obverse. FAVSTINA AVG-PIIAVGFIL Draped bust of Faustina right, Reverse. CONC-O-RDIA, Concordia seated left, holding flower & resting left arm on cornucopiae set on globe below seat. (RCV 4704; RIC 502a)
Nice portrait and interesting hairstyle. My only Faustina II to date was this rather well-worn denarius. 'Twas what I refer to as a "cheerful cheapo" - an inexpensive but fun coin. Edit- no, come to think of it, I am pretty sure I previously owned a much nicer gVF to EF example that I plucked from a $20 pick bin at the FUN show in the early 2000s, but that was before I "officially" collected ancients, and I have no pictures of it now. That was a fun pick bin. I got five pieces, as I recall. Two were lower grade Republican denarii and three were pretty sharp and higher grade Antonine-era pieces. I had to have @Aethelred ID them for me, as he was my first mentor when it came to ancient coins.
nice coins, here are some of mine Faustina Minor AR-Denarius Augusta AD 146 - winter 175/176 Obv.: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, draped bust right, waved hair knotted behind Rev.: VENVS GENETRIX, Venus standing left, holding Victory and leaning on figured shield with Dioscuri, helmet below shield Ag, 3.39g. 18.8mm Ref.: RIC III 734, RSC 280a Faustina Minor AR-Denar, Rome Obv.: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, draped bust right Rev.: IVNONI REGINAE, IVNONI REGINAE, Juno seated left on throne, holding patera and sceptre; to left, peacock standing left. Ag, 3.34 g, 18mm Ref.: RIC III 697 Faustina Minor AR-Denar, Rome, AD 147-150 Obv.: FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL, Draped bust of Faustina II to right with band of pearls, her hair bound with pearls Rev.: VENVS, Venus standing left, holding apple in her right hand and rudder set on dolphin, which coils around it Ag, 3.52g Ref.: RIC 517a Faustina Minor AR-Denar, Rome, AD 147-148 Obv.: FAVSTINAE AVG. PII AVG. FIL. Draped bust right, the hair coiled in the back of the head in a chignon and decorated with string of pearls. Rev.: LAETITIAE PVBLICAE, Laetitia, draped and diademed, standing left, holding long scepter in her left hand, wreath in her outstretched right hand. Ag, 2.81g, 18mm Ref.: Kamp. 38.9, RIC 506b
A very nice portrait. I don't have a Faustina II, not even an empress. I prefer men more.Maybe that should change.
Lovely portrait of the young empress, indeed, @Marsman ! I have too many coins of Faustina II, so I'll post the dupondius version of Marsman's denarius: Faustina II, AD 147-175/6. Roman orichalcum dupondius, 14.77 g, 26.5 mm, 12 h. Rome, AD 147-150. Obv: FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL, draped bust right with strand of pearls. Rev: VENVS S C, Venus standing left, holding apple and rudder, around the shaft of which a dolphin is entwined. Refs: RIC 1409b; BMCRE 2160-63; Cohen 269; RCV 4736.
Beautiful example, @Marsman!!! Here's my similar contribution: Faustina II, Wife of Marcus Aurelius who ruled AR Denarius, Struck under Antioninus Pius 145-161 AD, Rome mint Obverse: FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL, Bust of Faustina the Younger, band of pearls round head, with hair waived and coiled on back of head, draped, right. Reverse: VENVS, Venus, draped, standing left, holding apple in right hand and rudder set on dolphin, which coils round it, in left. References: RIC III 517c (it was hard to photograph!)
A very humble and circulated coin... makes her look soft and matronly. RI Faustina Jr 161-175 CE Ar Denarius m Marcus Aurelius 17.1mm 3g Ex: @Brian Bucklan ... the FUN crazy guy.
Some really nice portraits on this thread. Faustina II is one of my favorites - abundant and affordable. Finding a stylistically pleasant portrait can be a bit of a challenge. Here is one of my favorites, worn, but nice artwork, I think: Faustina II Denarius (147-175 A.D.) - Rome Mint FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL, draped bust right with double circlet of pearls / LAETITIAE PVBLICAE, Laetitia standing left, holding wreath and sceptre. RIC 506b; RSC 155a. (2.95 grams / 18 mm)
I recently bought an example of what I believe is the same coin type that @Marsman posted to open this thread last fall: a denarius of a young Faustina II issued under her father Antoninus Pius. It's my first Faustina II coin other than a Diva Faustina II issued after her death, so I wanted one in which she looks young and lively. Not necessarily so easy to find! I particularly liked the portrait on this example -- even though it's quite different from the one on @Marsman's -- and it was a bargain (given that it's short of Very Fine condition), so I decided to buy it despite the relatively poor reverse. Faustina II [Junior] (wife of Marcus Aurelius & daughter of Antoninus Pius), AR Denarius, Rome mint, 147-149 AD (under Antoninus Pius). Obv. Draped bust right, single circlet of pearls around head, FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL / Venus standing left, holding apple in right hand and, in left hand, rudder set on dolphin, VENVS. RIC III [Antoninus] 517c, RSC II 266a, BMCRE [Antoninus] 1067. 18 mm., 3.45 g.
