Faustina Friday – Recreating Sulzer’s Collection of Faustina the Younger, Part 3

[Roman Collector]

Friday felicitations, fellow Faustina fanatics! I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead. Last week we revisited the collection of Johann Sulzer and illustrated the first of the sestertii in his Faustina the Younger section. His collection of sestertii was very extensive, and we will be occupied with them for a few more weeks. I hope you like sestertii, because I continue this week by illustrating the sestertii listed on pages 181-182 of the catalog to his collection.

It's important to note that Sulzer did not have easy access to coin references. In his day, Roman coin texts were limited to the works of Jean Foy Vaillant, Erasmus Frölich, and Joseph Khell von Khellburg. We do not know which, if any, Sulzer may have consulted over the course of his fifty-year numismatic hobby. The one-and-a-half-page introduction to the collection contains no bibliography, for the text was not intended to be a scholarly effort but was written after Sulzer's death by his younger brother as an advertisement to sell the collection and to list the coins therein. Because he had access to few references and may have been charting new ground, Sulzer often errs when transcribing the various inscriptions or interpreting the attributes of the various deities and personifications that appear on their reverses. We see a few instances of this here in this week's installment of Faustina Friday.

Again, I note that Sulzer owned two examples of several reverse types. Many of these reverse types are known paired with bare-headed and with stephaned bust types. This makes me wonder if Sulzer owned one of each bust type. If he did, he makes no mention of the presence of a stephane. I must therefore presume his specimens were of the bare-headed bust type.

As with previous installments dealing with Sulzer's collection, I illustrate the relevant pages from his catalog with coins from my own collection whenever possible and with museum specimens or auction listings otherwise. Here are the pages of the collection under discussion this week.




Sulzer #1515-16:

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 23.49 g, 29.0 mm, 11 h.
Rome, c. 170-174 CE.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right (Beckmann Type 10 hairstyle).
Rev: MATRI MAGNAE S C, Cybele seated right, holding drum in left hand on left knee; to left and right of throne, lions, seated right.
Refs: RIC 1663, BMCRE 932-935; Cohen 169; Sear 5281; MIR 25-6/10c; ERIC II 205.
Notes: Dating the coin is difficult. Beckmann’s die-linkage study of the aurei of Faustina the Younger demonstrate this reverse type to be the first to use the Type 10 hairstyle, which was introduced sometime after the death of Lucius Verus in 169 CE.[1] It may have been issued to commemorate the birth of Faustina's last child, a daughter, Vibia Aurelia Sabina, born 170 or 171 CE.[2] This reverse type appears to have been issued before the introduction of the MATER CASTRORVM issues[3] in the latter half of 174 CE.[4]

Sulzer #1517-1518:

Sulzer lists this coin as two separate coins, differing in obverse legend. He incorrectly transcribes the obverse legend on #1517 as FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG F but correctly notes that #1518 reads FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL.



The only other difference in the description of the coin, and its significance is debatable, is the description of the figure of the child at Pietas' feet. Sulzer describes this figure as an incuncula (little figure) on #1517 and a puerulus (little boy) on #1518. The identity and gender of the child on the reverse remains a mystery to me. I have discussed this elsewhere.

As noted above, Sulzer errs in his description of the obverse legend on #1517 and I can only conclude that his specimen was poorly preserved or off-center. Both coins must have been of the same type, illustrated below.

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 23.63g, 34mm, 6h.
Rome, June 152- autumn 154 CE.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL, bare-headed and draped bust, right (Beckmann Type 2 hairstyle).
Rev: PIETAS S C, Pietas standing facing, head left, holding flower and cornucopiae, with child standing facing, head to right, to her left.
Refs: RIC 1379; BMCRE 2177-79; Cohen 173; RCV 4715; Strack 1321.
Notes: Ex Antonio Carmona collection.

Sulzer #1519-20:

As was the case with #1517-18, Sulzer misdescribes two coins of the same type, listing them individually as bearing two different obverse inscriptions, neither of which is correct. In actuality, the obverse legend of this type is in the dative case and reads FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL. This legend was used from 147 CE to the end of summer 151 CE. I suspect that Sulzer's specimens were low grade or off-center, with only partially legible obverse inscriptions.



He describes the reverse legend differently on each specimen as well. On #1519, he describes the reverse as "Pudicitia sitting, right hand veils face" (translation mine). On #1520, he uses the vague description, "Pudicitia, of the usual sitting type" (translation mine). These are clearly of the same reverse design.

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 25.01 g, 32.1 mm, 12 h.
Rome, early 148-March 149 CE.
Obv: FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL, bare-headed and draped bust, right (Beckmann Type 1 hairstyle).
Rev: PVDICITIA S C, Pudicitia seated left, arranging drapery on shoulder with right hand and resting left hand on lap.
Refs: RIC 1381; BMCRE 2142-44; Cohen 186; RCV 4716; Strack 1302.

Sulzer #1521-1522:

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 24.65 g, 30.4 mm, 12 h.
Rome, 161 CE.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right (Beckmann Type 5 hairstyle).
Rev: SAECVLI FELICIT SC, draped throne on which there are two infant boys, Antoninus and Commodus, with stars above their heads.
Refs: RIC 1665; BMCRE 936; Cohen 193; RCV 5282; MIR27-6/10a.
Note: Issued to commemorate the birth of Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus and his twin brother, Commodus, in AD 161. See here for a discussion of the type.

Sulzer #1523-24:

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 23.32 g, 31.5 mm, 1 h.
Rome, 161- c. 164 CE.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right (Beckmann Type 7 hairstyle).
Rev: SALVTI AVGVSTAE S C, Salus seated left, feeding snake coiled round altar from patera in right hand and resting left arm on chair.
Refs: RIC 1668a; BMCRE 943-44; Cohen 202; RCV 5283 var.; MIR 30-6/10 b.
Note: See here for a discussion of the type.

Sulzer #1525:

I'm going to break my own rule and post the stephaned bust version of this coin. It's not that I don’t have one with the bare-headed bust (Beckmann Type 5 hairstyle); it's that may specimen doesn't exactly have 5/5 surfaces, if you get my drift.

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 22.64 g, 30.0 mm, 12 h.
Rome, 161 CE.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, draped bust, right, wearing stephane (Beckmann Type 9 hairstyle).
Rev: TEMPOR FELIC S C, female figure, standing left, holding an infant in each arm; at either side, two children standing.
Refs: RIC 1674; BMCRE 952-955; Cohen 224; RCV 5284; MIR 31-6/10b diad.
Note: Issued to commemorate the birth of Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus and his twin brother, Commodus, in AD 161. The reverse figure holds these twins in her arms; those at her feet likely represent Faustina’s daughters Lucilla, Faustina III, Fadilla, and Cornificia. See here for a discussion of the type.

Next week, we will continue with the sestertii on page 183 of the catalog of Sulzer's collection.

Do you have any examples of the sestertii illustrated here? Let's see them! Post comments or anything you feel is relevant!

~~~

Notes

1. Beckmann, Martin, Faustina the Younger: Coinage, Portraits, and Public Image, A.N.S. Numismatic Studies 43, American Numismatic Society, New York, 2021, p. 65.

2. Vibia was born after Marcus’s accession and would have been the three-year-old at Sirmium when Herodes Atticus was there in 174 CE; hence, her birth year must date to 170 or 171 CE. See Levick, Barbara. Faustina I and II: Imperial Women of the Golden Age. Oxford University Press, 2014, pp. 117-118. Ameling is therefore likely in error in his estimate of 172 CE. Ameling, Walter. Die Kinder des Marc Aurel und die Bildnistypen der Faustina Minor. Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 90 (1992):147-166, specifically p. 161.

3. Beckmann, op. cit., p. 65.

4. I have discussed the MATER CASTRORVM issues in detail in a previous installment of Faustina Friday.

Edited August 14, 2023 by Roman Collector
New photo, correction of dates.

[arizonarobin]

I like your Sulzer #1525, I have this type in Dupondius but would like to hunt down the Sestertius.

Thank you for another edition of FF! 😄

[Roman Collector]

3 hours ago, arizonarobin said:

I like your Sulzer #1525, I have this type in Dupondius but would like to hunt down the Sestertius.

Thank you for another edition of FF! 😄

Thank you for your kind words! I'm glad you are enjoying my weekly installments.

[Marsyas Mike]

Thanks for the latest installment of Faustina Friday @Roman Collector.  A great way to start the weekend for sure.  

I have a few of these, as follow:

Sulzer 1519-1520 (RIC III Antoninus Pius 1381 ) Pudicitia

I also have the middle bronze (w. stephane) version of this - here they are together.  

Sulzer 1521-1522 (RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1665)

 

Sulzer 1523-1524 (RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1668) - with stephane (I don't have the bare-headed type):

A spare - this one has been soaked since this photo was taken - the powdery BD-looking stuff came off without too much trouble:

Sulzer 1525 and var. (RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1673 (bare head) and 1674 - (stephane)):

Thanks again, @Roman Collector😀

P.S. - another 1525 / RIC 1673 - with "disturbed" patina:  

Edited April 17, 2023 by Marsyas Mike
PS

[Roman Collector]

19 minutes ago, Marsyas Mike said:

Thanks for the latest installment of Faustina Friday @Roman Collector.  A great way to start the weekend for sure.  

I have a few of these, as follow:

Sulzer 1519-1520 (RIC III Antoninus Pius 1381 ) Pudicitia

I also have the middle bronze (w. stephane) version of this - here they are together.  

Sulzer 1521-1522 (RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1665)

 

Sulzer 1523-1524 (RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1668) - with stephane (I don't have the bare-headed type):

A spare - this one has been soaked since this photo was taken - the powdery BD-looking stuff came off without too much trouble:

Sulzer 1525 and var. (RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1673 (bare head) and 1674 - (stephane)):

Thanks again, @Roman Collector😀

Fantastic! Great variety of Faustina bronzes you have! And thanks for the kind words. There are more on the way this coming Friday.