Roman Collector Posted October 5, 2022 · Patron Share Posted October 5, 2022 (edited) I can't post this coming Friday, so here's an early special edition of Faustina Friday. So, I hope you have a great Friday. I wanted to show off this sestertius of Faustina the Younger. Sure, it's a tad corroded. Maybe that's why the bidding wasn't very intense. But it's a rarity and beggars can't be choosers. After a comprehensive search of the online databases and print sources, it appears to be the fifth known specimen, with examples in the British Museum, the Bibliotheque nationale de France, the Staatliches Münzkabinett in Vienna, and the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli. Faustina II, AD 147-175. Roman orichalcum sestertius, 21.27 g, 31.4 mm, 11 h. Rome, end summer AD 151-June 152. Obv: FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII FIL, bare-headed and draped bust, right (Beckmann Type 2 hairstyle). Rev: CONCORDIA S C, Concordia, standing front, head right, drawing out drapery and holding cornucopiae. Refs: RIC 1372b; BMCRE 2166; Cohen 51; Strack 1309; RCV 4712. Note: Obverse die match to BMCRE 2166. The FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII FIL Obverse Legend In the late 1980s, our own @curtislclay compared the denarii of Pius, Marcus Aurelius and Faustina and their representation in the Reka Devnia hoard, and elucidated an absolute chronology for the silver issues of Faustina II. In the course of this work, he concluded that the FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL legend was in use for about four or five months beginning about May AD 151, followed by the FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII FIL legend, which was in use for about seven or eight months, from the end of summer AD 151 to about June AD 152, after which it reverted to the FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL legend, which was in use through the end of AD 155.* I have previously written about this elsewhere. So this legend was in use for less than a year and with a limited number of reverse types: CONCORDIA seated left and standing (left or right); a dove right, with either the CONCORDIA or VENERI FELICI legends; VENVS standing left, holding apple and scepter; and VENVS standing right, arranging drapery on right shoulder and holding apple. Another fun thing about this new addition to my numophylacium is that it is the same type as this denarius, which was the first coin of Faustina the Younger I ever purchased, perhaps about 1990. Faustina Jr, AD 147-175. Roman AR denarius, 2.97 g, 18.5 mm, 6 h. Rome, end summer AD 151-June 152. Obv: FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII FIL, bare-headed and draped bust, right (Beckmann Type 2 hairstyle). Rev: CONCORDIA S C, Concordia, standing front, head right, drawing out drapery and holding cornucopiae. Refs: RIC 500b(6); BMCRE 1078-79; Cohen 44; Strack 500; RCV 4703; CRE 163. Note: RIC erroneously describes the obverse legend as reading FAVSTINAE AVG ANTONINI AVG PII FIL; this is corrected by BMCRE 4. So this reverse type represents the first as well as the latest addition to my collection of Faustina the Younger types! The circle is now complete! *Curtis L. Clay, personal communication, 13 September 2021. Edited November 27, 2023 by Roman Collector 12 2 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy_collector Posted October 5, 2022 · Member Share Posted October 5, 2022 (edited) Happy Faustina Tuesday, @Roman Collector. You picked up a nice rare Faustina coin. I have one with a similar hairstyle. 🙂 Faustina Junior. Augusta, AD 150-152. Rome mint, under Antoninus Pius. Æ Sestertius (32.5mm, 27.51 g, 6h). Obv: Draped bust right Rev: Venus standingleft, holding apple and scepter. RIC III 1387 (Pius); Banti 132. CNG Auction. Feb 2021. Edited October 5, 2022 by happy_collector 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seth77 Posted October 5, 2022 · Member Share Posted October 5, 2022 Hi @Roman Collector, your posts are really making me want to start looking for Faustina coins and I really can't afford a new side-interest lol. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roman Collector Posted October 5, 2022 · Patron Author Share Posted October 5, 2022 6 hours ago, happy_collector said: Happy Faustina Tuesday, @Roman Collector. You picked up a nice rare Faustina coin. I have one with a similar hairstyle. 🙂 Faustina Junior. Augusta, AD 150-152. Rome mint, under Antoninus Pius. Æ Sestertius (32.5mm, 27.51 g, 6h). Obv: Draped bust right Rev: Venus standingleft, holding apple and scepter. RIC III 1387 (Pius); Banti 132. CNG Auction. Feb 2021. Very nice! That coin also comes with the Type 3 hairstyle: 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spaniard Posted October 5, 2022 · Supporter Share Posted October 5, 2022 @Roman Collector...Lovely portrait! Interesting write up as always and thanks for the links... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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