Three Graces in Miniature on Unlisted Denarius of Faustina II

I was the high bidder at Frank Robinson's auction yesterday and am very excited about this one. It's quite interesting. The coin is listed in RIC only as an aureus, not a denarius, RIC-732. It is not listed by Sear, Cohen or BMCRE. The coin is described in Staal's The Three Graces and Their Numismatic Mythology, p. 142 and pictured on p. 169. Staal notes examples from "Bank. H Aufhauser 18, #420 ... (Oct 1989)" and "Coin Galleries #2447 (Dec 2001)." Frank Robinson notes one sold at "CNG eAuction 1/10, the only sale record I found."


Faustina Jr, Augusta AD 161-175, under Marcus Aurelius
Roman AR Denarius
Rome, AD 161-175
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, r.
Rev: VENVS FELIX, Venus seated left, holding small statuary group of the three graces and scepter.
Refs: RIC 732 aureus var.; Staal p. 142, p. 169
(Photo courtesy of Frank Robinson)

The reverse type was also used on this minor bronze of Faustina II portraying Juno, here depicted with a left-facing bust variety:


Faustina Jr, under Antoninus Pius, 147-161
Roman AE minor bronze
11.10 gm; 25.3 mm
Obv: FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL, bare-headed and draped bust, left.
Rev: IVNO SC, Juno seated left, holding small statuary group of the three graces and scepter; at feet, peacock.
Refs: C.f. RIC 1400 and Cohen 128 (right-facing busts).

Feel free to add your coins of Faustina Jr, three Graces, varieties unlisted in major references, Venus, Juno, etc. Whatever you feel is pertinent.

 

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I've never seen this reverse I don't believe. Interesting. Congratulations.

 

Great find and rare, wow. Congratulations! I love finding unlisted or barely-listed coins. I happen to have one coin with the Three Graces, in this case held by a cult statue of Apollo Delios on a new style Athenian tet. Not rare, but a scarcer variety...



ATTICA, Athens. Circa 165-42 BC. AR Tetradrachm (27mm, 16.36 g, 12h). New Style coinage. Socrates, Dionysodoros, and Zoilos, magistrates. Struck 116/5 BC. Helmeted head of Athena right / Owl standing right, head facing, on amphora; in right field, facing cult statue of Apollo Delios, holding Three Graces and bow; B on amphora, ΣO below. Thompson 616a.

 

There was clearly more than one obverse and reverse die used in its production. Here is the photo from p. 169 in Staal's book:

 

That's a nice coin, @John Anthony ! And it's cool that it also shows a deity holding a statuary group of the Three Graces!

 

Same here, nice find

 

Nice find for sure. Congratulations.

 

Nice find, I have a few rare faustina ii.

All three coins on wildwinds


Faustina Jr. (146 - 175 A.D.)
AR Denarius
O: DIVA FAUSTINA PIA, Draped bust right.
R: CONSECRATIO Pietas standing left, sacrificing from patera over a lighted altar and holding a sceptre.
Rome
3.2
18.5
RIC III 741 (Aurelius); MIR 18, 57-4/10' BMCRE 711 note; RSC 65


Faustina Jr. (146 - 175 A.D.)
AR Denarius
O: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA; Draped bust right, wearing stephane.
R: SALVS; Salus standing left, holding sceptre, feeding serpent rising up from altar.
Rome
3.35g
18.5mm
RIC 715, RSC 197a, BMCRE 145 (Aurelius)

Mother...

FAUSTINA Sr. (138-141 AD)
AR Denarius
Lifetime Issue
O: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA Draped bust right.
O:IVNONI REGINAE Peacock seated on throne and scepter behind.
18mm
3.5g
RIC-340, RSC-221 BMC (Antoninus Pius) 145 (same reverse die)

Ex Robert Kutcher Collection (Triton X, 8 January 2007), lot 1606 (part of)

 

Very cool score! I won four coins in Frank's auction, but didn't notice this one at all... my loss. I like the bronze one as well.

I've probably over-shared this coin, but since this is a Three Graces thread, I'll share it again, with apologies to those who have seen it too often .


COMMODUS
AE 25. 7.69g, 25mm, MOESIA INFERIOR, Marcianopolis. H&J 6.10.26.4 (this coin illustrated); RPC IV online 4319; AMNG I 540; Varbanov 702 corr. (direction of heads). O: ΑΥ ΚΑΙ Λ ΑΥΡΗ ΚΟΜΟΔΟС, Bareheaded, draped, and cuirassed bust right. R: ΜΑΡΚΙΑΝΟΠΟΛƐΙΤΩΝ, the Three Graces standing facing, heads left, right, and right, respectively: the left holds oinochoe over dolphin, the center drapes arms over others, and the right holds wreath over oinochoe.
Ex Dr. George Spradling Collection; Ex Alexandre de Barros Collection (CNG E143, 12 July 2006, lot 115); ex CNG 47 (16 Sep 1998) lot 833

 

I was not aware of this reverse variant. Always happy to learn.

 

Here's an extremely well-struck version of the aureus, from Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles Auction 93, September 6, 2016, Lot number: 1611

 

And in 1982, the British Museum obtained one for their collection, depicted here:




And this is the example from the Museo de Prehistòria, València:

 

I was wondering if the dies used to stike the aurii were intentionally/accidentally used for the denarii.


On a somewhat related note, I have dozens of unlisted Chinese cash varieties, but they aren't anything special. There was so much private casting going on that it was not unusual for them to deviate from the norm a bit.

 

I don't think it's so much that the aureii dies were used accidentally--there are too many different dies used to strike the denarii--but that RIC vol. 3 is old and the existence of the denarii with the same reverse was unknown in the major museum collections from which the catalog was derived.

As I've noted above, the BMC finally has a copy of the denarius in their collection (obtained in 1982, per the listing on their web-page, and the Museum in Valencia has one. There are several others that have been sold.

So, although it's a bit hard to come by, it's known to the numismatic community.

 

I agree with Roman Collector's view against the accidental aureus die idea. I see something here that I find really interesting. I am not very interested in cash. I am totally uninterested in minor cash varieties. This was the first I heards attributing at least some of them to private casting. In Roman, I do have interest in unofficial coins (barbarous, fourrees etc.) but the mainstream scholars tend to dismiss such things as not worthy of study. They certainly are not considered rare and special items. It is not at all unusual for a new 'discovery' to be dismissed as 'just barbarous'. Is this an attitude difference between the two branches of the hobby?

 

Very nice pickup @Roman Collector! Very cool reverse, one I have never seen before.

 

Awesome find, never seen that reverse. Been meaning to pick up the Three Graces book too, lots of interesting coins to discover in it.

 

Congrats, Roman Collector ... nice OP-additions (they're both total winners)

Hmmm sadly, I Secret Santa'd my Faustina Juniour Sestertius (I hope that she is still doin' okay? => I miss ya, Sweetie)

... but I do have this pretty cool AR denarius to toss into your thread ...

Faustina Juniour, AR denarius




Yup, it's the high-fivin' twins!

 

The coin arrived from Frank Robinson in today's mail! I couldn't be happier with it. Frank's photo didn't do it justice. It has lovely toning.

 

Oh my goodness! You mean you posted photos of your coin before you actually received it? Wow! You're fearless @Roman Collector!