I just received this coin today, interesting both in of itself, and for it's provenance. Obv: FLAV MAX FAVSTA AVG Rev: SPES REIPVBLICAE The coin is from Ticinum, from a rare issue marked "H + crescent", RIC VII Ticinum 186-188. RIC only lists Constantine (VOT XXX) and the caesars Crispus & Constantine II (VOT XX) in this issue, but here we have Fausta as well. I've never seen reference to Fausta in this issue before - maybe unpublished? The coin came with an old collectors ticket, and a provenance of ex. Capt. Daniel Turner which I hadn't paid much attention to when I bought the coin. As you can see Capt. Turner's forte wasn't roman coin attribution ! However, Capt. Turner was evidentially a very capable seaman, having been assigned to the USS Constitution during the war of 1812, and later going on to become it's captain in 1835 ! https://ussconstitutionmuseum.org/crew/daniel-turner/ The provenance to Capt. Turner seems solid given that the seller bought his coin collection from descendants of the Turner family. As a British expat, all I can say to Capt. Turner, should he be listening, is "Boo yah! You may have won the war, but I've got your coin ... and you misattributed it!".
This one came with an old envelope similar in shape but I don't think the handwriting is the same. The collector obviously didn't know what century Julia Mamaea lived in, though. Julia Mamaea, AD 222-235. Roman orichalcum sestertius, 21.15 g, 29.5 mm, 1 h. Rome, 6th emission, AD 226. Obv: IVLIA MAMAEA AVGVSTA, diademed and draped bust, right. Rev: VESTA S C, Vesta standing left, holding Palladium and scepter. Refs: RIC 708; BMCRE 389-91; Cohen 83; RCV 8236.
