Jump to content

Faustina Friday – Recreating Sulzer’s Collection of Faustina the Younger, Part 4


Recommended Posts

Its Friday GIF

Friday felicitations, fellow Faustina fanatics! I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead.
Three weeks ago, 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 182-183 of the catalog to his collection.

This installment finishes up with the lifetime sestertii of Faustina the Younger and lists the first of the posthumous coins issued in her honor. I remind the reader that Sulzer separated the coins by denomination, arranging them alphabetically by reverse legend, and then by lifetime versus posthumous issues. However, he did not separate them by obverse legend nor even distinguish those issued under Antoninus Pius from those under Marcus Aurelius. Rather, all the coins are listed together in one section titled "Faustina, wife of M. Aurelius, called 'Junior'." As a result, you'll see a variety of obverse legends and hairstyles in this week's installment.

All coins illustrated here are from my own collection. Here are the pages of Sulzer's collection under discussion this week.


Sulzer182c.JPG.9b6728ea0d49d51a927328d244ae4563.JPG
Sulzer183.JPG.cdcc117b015ef1ca8c5408777461ef53.JPG

Sulzer #1526:

FaustinaJrVENVSSCappleandsceptersestertiusshortobvinscrtype2hairstyle.jpg.b6508cfff3a48a027321192b190f9920.jpg

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 24.05 g, 31.7 mm, 6 h.
Rome, mid 152-Autumn 154 CE.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL, bare-headed and draped bust, right (Beckmann type 2 hairstyle).
Rev: VENVS S C, Venus standing left, holding apple and scepter.
Refs: RIC 1387(3); BMCRE 2185-86; Cohen 252; RCV 4719; Strack 1322.
Note: See
here for a discussion of this reverse type and its various varieties.


Sulzer #1527:

FaustinaJrVENVSSCandruddersestertius.jpg.82f5d30d9366907a9a32793a2c1d0b03.jpg

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 25.09 g, 29.4 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: VENVS S C, Venus standing left, holding apple and rudder, around which a dolphin is entwined.
Refs: RIC 1388c; BMCRE 2148-50; Cohen 268 var.; Strack 1305; RCV 4720.
Note: See
here for a discussion of this reverse type.


Sulzer #1528:

FaustinaJrVENVSVICTRIXSCsestertius.jpg.65ea340808075e897ed31f7812aba4c5.jpg

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 27.25 g, 30.7 mm, 6 h.
Rome, c. 166.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, Bare-headed and draped bust, right (Beckmann Type 7 hairstyle).
Rev: VENVS VICTRIX S C, Venus standing facing, head left, holding Victory in extended right hand and resting left hand on shield set on helmet.
Refs: RIC 1688; BMCRE 960-65; Cohen 283; RCV 5288; MIR 40-6/10b.
Notes: Issued to
commemorate her husband’s victory over the Parthians, which he shared with Lucius Verus, for which the co-emperors celebrated a triumph in October 166.


Sulzer #1529:

This coin does not exist as described in Sulzer's catalog. Here’s the Latin listing.


Sulzer183a.JPG.018d9db6b922e695a8f97ee56fcfe162.JPG

This is translated as:

FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII FIL. Head of Faustina Junior.
S. C. Venus standing, right hand extended holding apple, left hand a vertical scepter.
Without inscription.

The obverse legend FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII FIL was
in use for less than one year, and was paired with few reverse types. This obverse legend appears on only one sestertius with a Venus reverse type, but its reverse inscription reads VENVS S C and is not anepigraphic. However, it is not hard to imagine that Sulzer's specimen was of low grade, with a reverse legend so worn as to be invisible. The specimen in my collection of the type, for example, has a barely legible reverse inscription. Sulzer's coin was undoubtedly this one, illustrated below.


FaustinaJrVENVSSCappleandsceptersestertiuslongobvinscrtype3hairstyle.jpg.bf20cb586e3049ddb81681e3cdb005cc.jpg

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 24.00 g, 32.2 mm, 5 h.
Rome, end of summer 151- c. June 152 CE.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII FIL, bare-headed and draped bust, right (Beckmann type 3 hairstyle).
Rev: VENVS S C, Venus standing left, holding apple and scepter.
Refs: RIC 1387(6); BMCRE 2168; Cohen 250; RCV –; Strack 1311.
Notes: Also used with the Beckmann
Type 2 hairstyle. See here for a discussion of this reverse type and its various varieties.


Sulzer #1530:

FaustinaJrSCDianaSestertiusearlierissue.jpg.accd59a07713d8d664f92eba9d730a63.jpg

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 24.17 g, 31.0 mm, 5 h.
Rome, c. 153-154 CE.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL, bare-headed and draped bust, right (Beckmann Type 2b hairstyle).
Rev: S C, Diana, draped, standing front, head left, holding out arrow in right hand and resting left on bow, set on ground.
Refs: RIC 1383(3); BMCRE 2180-81; Cohen 206; Strack 1325; RCV 4717.
Notes: Also used with the Beckmann Type 5 hairstyle. Variety known with a left-facing bust. See
here for a discussion of this reverse type and its various varieties.


Sulzer #1531-32:

FaustinaJrSCDianaSestertius.jpg.2865899b8238e7dd8d71899bfbd48c58.jpg

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 25.20 g, 31.1 mm, 6 h.
Rome, January-August 156 CE.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA AVG PII F, bare-headed and draped bust, right (Beckmann Type 5 hairstyle).
Rev: S C, Diana, draped, standing front, head left, holding out arrow in right hand and resting left on bow, set on ground.
Refs: RIC 1383(2); BMCRE
2194; Cohen 210 (erroneous obverse inscription); Strack 1326.
Notes: Obverse die match to the British Museum specimen. See
here for a discussion of this reverse type and its various varieties.


The remainder of the sestertii in the collection are posthumous issues.

Sulzer #1533-34:


FaustinaJrCONSECRATIOSCaltarnopalmettessestertius.jpg.aaad33a40b86317caa36b026a8d9c132.jpg

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman orichalcum Sestertius, 19.75 g, 30.0 mm, 1 h.
Rome, 4th posthumous issue, 176 CE or later.
Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA PIA, bare-headed and draped bust, right (Beckmann Type 10 hairstyle).
Rev: CONSECRATIO S C, altar-enclosure, with door in front and antefixae on corners above.
Refs: RIC 1706; BMCRE 1579-81; Cohen 76; RCV 5230; MIR 60-6/10.
Notes: Sulzer, along with many later numismatists, incorrectly describes the object on the reverse as an "altar," but it is more accurately described as an altar enclosure. See
here for a discussion of this reverse type.


Sulzer #1535:

FaustinaJrCONSECRATIOSCPeacockfacingsestertius.jpg.3362dbd3ddc7d79cf238c34d058a5a43.jpg

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 19.27 g, 28.7 mm, 6 h.
Rome, 4th posthumous issue, 176 CE or later.
Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA PIA, bust of Faustina II, draped, right (Beckmann Type 10 hairstyle).
Rev: CONSECRATIO, peacock walking left with tail spread.
Refs: RIC 1703; BMCRE 1573-76; Cohen 72; RCV 5228; MIR 59-6/10.


Sulzer #1536:

FaustinaJrSIDERIBVSRECEPTASCSestertius.jpg.1d16ab789b8ec776564cd6d5d4dc3652.jpg

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman orichalcum Sestertius, 23.66 g, 30.2 mm, 12 h.
Rome, 4th posthumous issue, 176 CE or later.
Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA PIA, bare-headed and draped bust, right (Beckmann Type 10 hairstyle).
Rev: SIDERIBVS RECEPTA, Diva Faustina, as Diana Lucifera, draped, wearing crescent on shoulders behind neck, standing right, holding lighted long torch.
Refs: RIC 1715; BMCRE 1584-88; Cohen 215; RCV (4th ed.; not in 5th) 1530; MIR 64-6/10.
Note: Also issued with Diana standing left. Sulzer does not specify the direction Diana is facing on the specimen in his collection.


Next week, we will finish up the sestertii and begin the middle bronze issues on page 184 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!

Edited by Roman Collector
Grievous crimes against the conventions vis-a-vis underlining things
  • Like 10
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A fine, fine Faustina Friday as usual @Roman Collector.  Informative as always, I'm finding some of my Faustina II attributions to be in disarray, so I am going to respond in bits and pieces here.  In order of your post, here's three:

I'm still a little confused by the OCRE 1387a vs. 1387 (3) that you get directly from RIC.  You helped me with one of these a while back.  

Sulzer 1526 (RIC III Antoninus Pius 1387a / (3))

FaustinaII-SestertiusVenusstandingAVGPIIAVGFILRIC1387-MINE23.jpg.ef75dfe1f91e512e1aa7ed163cbc532c.jpg 

Faustina II   Æ Sestertius (Mid-152 - Autumn 154 A.D.)  Rome Mint FAV[ST]INA AVG PII AVG FIL, draped bust right (Beckmann type 2 hairstyle) / [VENVS] S-C, Venus standing left, holding apple and scepter. RIC Antoninus Pius 1387a; BMCRE 2185-86. (26.22 grams / 33 x 32 mm) eBay Jan. 2023  Die-Match Obv. & Rev.: CNG:  Electronic Auction 489;  Lot 404; 07.04.2021  Die-Match Obverse: Münzkabinett Wien: RÖ 12707 (OCRE Identifier ID64817); Roma Numismatics Limited: E-Sale 54; Lot 764; 28.02.2019; Bertolami Fine Arts: E-Auct 73; Lot 1027; 14.09.2019 Attribution:  Per Roman Collector, Coin Talk: Refs: RIC 1387(3); BMCRE 2185-86; Cohen RSC 252; RCV 4719; Strack 1322. Dating:  "I therefore date...the bronze coins with the FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL legend to mid AD 152-Autumn 154..." (Roman Collector on Coin Talk)

This one is Sulzer 1527 (RIC Antoninus Pius 1388c).  I understand the whole "band of pearls" aspect of these is not valid anymore - my attribution is still showing them.  Revisions are in order, as with so many of these!  

FaustinaII-SestertiusVENVSwRudderDolphinRIC1388c-MINEMay2022(0a).jpg.0ad1782a8dc1326d44a4db4636a11806.jpg

Faustina II             Æ Sestertius (Early 148 - March 149 A.D.)  Rome Mint [FAVSTINAE] AVG PII AVG FIL, draped bust right with band of pearls / [VE]N[VS] S C, Venus standing left holding an apple and rudder about which a dolphin is coiled. RIC Antoninus Pius 1388c.  (22.64 grams / 29 x 26 mm) eBay May 2022     Attribution Note:  Only type with band of pearls has the FAVSTINAE legend.  Full attribution via Coin Talk Roman Collector: RIC 1388c; BMCRE 2148-50; Cohen 268 var.; Strack 1305; RCV 4720.

 

 

Here is  Sulzer 1528 (RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1688)   Unfortunately it suffered a harsh, patina-stripping cleaning at some point.  

FaustinaII-SestertiusVENVSVICTRIXRIC1688WolfonShield-MINEpic(0).jpg.319039f918d747d0c3401284270bfcf1.jpg

Faustina II Æ Sestertius (c. 166 A.D.) Rome Mint FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, draped bare-headed bust rights / VENV[S] VICTRIX, S-C, Venus standing left, holding Victory and resting hand on shield (with she-wolf & twins), set on helmet. RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1688; BMCRE 960-965; Cohen 283. (23.66 grams / 30 x 26 mm) eBay Mar. 2020 (UK)  

Note: "Issued to commemorate her husband’s victory over the Parthians, which he shared with Lucius Verus, for which the co-emperors celebrated a triumph in October 166." (Roman Collector, NF, CT)

Die-Match Obverse:   Münzkabinett der Universität Göttingen Identifier 186352 (OCRE example)

 Mine features the wolf and twins shield decoration; according to this, there are other decorations as well:

"An interesting reverse type that is found with a variety of shield decorations on the reverse: she-wolf suckling twins, the Dioscuri, Aeneas with Anchises, and Victory. The shield with Victory appears to be unrecorded."  https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=235898

FaustinaII-SestertiusVENVSVICTRIXRIC1688WolfonShield-MINEpic(0det).jpg.33cae44524e651a181bebd8e55a967b7.jpg

Well, that's it for now.  I have others from this post so I'll be back!  Thanks again, RC.  

  • Like 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/5/2023 at 6:39 AM, expat said:

Another informative post and some truly wonderful coinage.

Thank you so much for reading and for your kind words!

1 hour ago, Marsyas Mike said:

I'm still a little confused by the OCRE 1387a vs. 1387 (3) that you get directly from RIC.

OCRE can be confusing because there's no "RIC 1387a" per se. There's RIC 1387 with two different obverse inscriptions, 3 and 6.

Capture2.JPG.0f798f044b0f7b597a9f0c3952c7fa31.JPG


The obverse inscriptions are listed a few pages earlier.

Capture1.JPG.91c0829dd6cb8050f99cdd3859f9c195.JPG

So OCRE calls RIC 1387 with inscription 3 "1387a" and RIC 1387 with inscription 6 "1387b"; I use "1387(3)" and "1387(6)," respectively.

~~~

On a different note, I love the shield decoration variation on your VENVS VICTRIX S C sestertius!! Way cool!!!

 

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 hours ago, Roman Collector said:

OCRE can be confusing because there's no "RIC 1387a" per se. There's RIC 1387 with two different obverse inscriptions, 3 and 6.

Thanks for the clarification @Roman Collector.  Continuing my FF/Sulzer journey, here is one I am happy to report, although very ugly (and with an inscriptionless reverse, possibly the one Sulzer was looking at  ), is an obverse die-match to the Roman Collector specimen!  

 Sulzer 1529 (RIC III Antoninus Pius 1387b / (3))

FaustinaII-SestertiusVenusstandingANTONINIRIC1387b-eBayMINEpic0.jpg.008b19da85627b98a7bb179f9c0348a1.jpg

Faustina II Æ Sestertius (Mid 151-Early 152 A.D.) Rome Mint [FAVST]INA AVG ANTONINI AV[G PII FIL], bare-headed and draped bust right / [VENVS] S C, Venus standing left, holding apple and scepter. RIC III Ant. Pius 1387b / (6); BMCRE 2168; Cohen 250. (27.06 grams / 31 x 30 mm) eBay Mar. 2022         

Notes: "The obverse legend FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII FIL was in use for less than one year, and was paired with few reverse types." Beckmann Type 3 Hairstyle OCRE:  RIC III 1387b RIC (RC):  RIC III 1387(6) (Roman Collector clarifications) Obverse Die Match: Roman Collector specimen; see CT Oct. 2021; NF May 2023

Here's a comparison:

FaustinaII-SestertiusVenusstandingANTONINIRIC1387b-eBayMINEpic0comp.jpg.28e25d3663cc5040137e97c55d9fb227.jpg

 

 

I'm going to need help on this one (an hour or two of AVG/AVGVSTA and Beckmann hair style varieties and my brain turns to mush).  I have one that is also a @Roman Collector die-match (obverse).  Where I get confused is that I cannot exactly match the attribution from your die-match one (from the earlier NF Diana post).  Does this one not correspond to a Sulzer type?  I think it would be Sulzer 1531-1532 (RIC III Antoninus Pius 1383b / (2)).

The RC die-match specimen is attributed thusly (from the earlier Diana post - https://www.numisforums.com/topic/1522-faustina-friday-–-an-in-depth-look-at-the-s-c-diana-standing-left-holding-arrow-and-resting-on-bow-issue/

Faustina II, AD 147-175.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 19.49 g, 32.1 mm, 7 h.
Rome, autumn AD 154-December AD 155.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL, bare-headed and draped bust, right, with Beckmann Type 5 coiffure.
Rev: S C, Diana, draped, standing front, head left, holding out arrow in right hand and resting left on bow, set on ground.
Refs: RIC 1383; BMCRE 2183; Cohen 206; Strack 1325; RCV 4717; Hunter II 46.

Here is the one posted above in this thread:

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 24.17 g, 31.0 mm, 5 h.
Rome, c. 153-154 CE.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL, bare-headed and draped bust, right (Beckmann Type 2b hairstyle).
Rev: S C, Diana, draped, standing front, head left, holding out arrow in right hand and resting left on bow, set on
ground.
Refs: RIC 1383(3); BMCRE 2180-81; Cohen 206; Strack 1325; RCV 4717.
Notes: Also used with the Beckmann Type 5 hairstyle. Variety known with a left-facing bust. See here for a
discussion of this reverse type and its various varieties.

Is there a difference between these BMCRE examples that I am missing?  Does the RIC (3) apply?  Here is mine, with the last description I came up with:

FaustinaII-Sest.DianaFAVSTINAAVGPIIAVGFILRIC1383b-MINE2023pic(0).jpg.621cba51bd0dd7f1a7dcbcc5e615e3cd.jpg

Faustina II Æ Sestertius (Autumn 154-Dec. 155 A.D.) Rome Mint FAVSTINA AVG PII [AVG F]IL, draped bust right S-C, Diana standing front, head left, holding arrow in right hand, resting l. on bow set on ground. RIC III Ant. Pius 1383b; BMCRE 2183; Cohen RSC 206.  (22.82 grams / 30 x 28 mm) eBay Feb. 2023   

Dating:  "These coins were introduced in autumn AD 154 and continue until the adoption of the ...AVGVSTA AVG PII F legend in January 156.  I thus date these coins to autumn AD 154- December AD 155.(Beckmann type 5 hairstyle) (Roman Collector on NF) Die-Match Obverse: Roman Collector on Numis Forums, Oct. 28, 2022 

Here is a comparison with the @Roman Collector example:

FaustinaII-Sest.DianaFAVSTINAAVGPIIAVGFILRIC1383b-MINE2023pic(0comp).jpg.8fe1eac7a05920d03a08161a95d5d919.jpg

Again, thanks for the great post, RC.  Informative and interesting as always.  And apologies in advance for my muddling through as usual!  

 

Edited by Marsyas Mike
Deleted unwanted emoji, which sometimes crop up unbidden in my posts for reasons I cannot fathom.
  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, Marsyas Mike said:

Thanks for the clarification @Roman Collector.  Continuing my FF/Sulzer journey, here is one I am happy to report, although very ugly (and with an inscriptionless reverse, possibly the one Sulzer was looking at  ), is an obverse die-match to the Roman Collector specimen!  

 Sulzer 1529 (RIC III Antoninus Pius 1387b / (3))

FaustinaII-SestertiusVenusstandingANTONINIRIC1387b-eBayMINEpic0.jpg.008b19da85627b98a7bb179f9c0348a1.jpg

Faustina II Æ Sestertius (Mid 151-Early 152 A.D.) Rome Mint [FAVST]INA AVG ANTONINI AV[G PII FIL], bare-headed and draped bust right / [VENVS] S C, Venus standing left, holding apple and scepter. RIC III Ant. Pius 1387b / (6); BMCRE 2168; Cohen 250. (27.06 grams / 31 x 30 mm) eBay Mar. 2022         

Notes: "The obverse legend FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII FIL was in use for less than one year, and was paired with few reverse types." Beckmann Type 3 Hairstyle OCRE:  RIC III 1387b RIC (RC):  RIC III 1387(6) (Roman Collector clarifications) Obverse Die Match: Roman Collector specimen; see CT Oct. 2021; NF May 2023

Here's a comparison:

FaustinaII-SestertiusVenusstandingANTONINIRIC1387b-eBayMINEpic0comp.jpg.28e25d3663cc5040137e97c55d9fb227.jpg

 

 

I'm going to need help on this one (an hour or two of AVG/AVGVSTA and Beckmann hair style varieties and my brain turns to mush).  I have one that is also a @Roman Collector die-match (obverse).  Where I get confused is that I cannot exactly match the attribution from your die-match one (from the earlier NF Diana post).  Does this one not correspond to a Sulzer type?  I think it would be Sulzer 1531-1532 (RIC III Antoninus Pius 1383b / (2)).

The RC die-match specimen is attributed thusly (from the earlier Diana post - https://www.numisforums.com/topic/1522-faustina-friday-–-an-in-depth-look-at-the-s-c-diana-standing-left-holding-arrow-and-resting-on-bow-issue/

Faustina II, AD 147-175.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 19.49 g, 32.1 mm, 7 h.
Rome, autumn AD 154-December AD 155.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL, bare-headed and draped bust, right, with Beckmann Type 5 coiffure.
Rev: S C, Diana, draped, standing front, head left, holding out arrow in right hand and resting left on bow, set on ground.
Refs: RIC 1383; BMCRE 2183; Cohen 206; Strack 1325; RCV 4717; Hunter II 46.

Here is the one posted above in this thread:

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 24.17 g, 31.0 mm, 5 h.
Rome, c. 153-154 CE.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL, bare-headed and draped bust, right (Beckmann Type 2b hairstyle).
Rev: S C, Diana, draped, standing front, head left, holding out arrow in right hand and resting left on bow, set on
ground.
Refs: RIC 1383(3); BMCRE 2180-81; Cohen 206; Strack 1325; RCV 4717.
Notes: Also used with the Beckmann Type 5 hairstyle. Variety known with a left-facing bust. See here for a
discussion of this reverse type and its various varieties.

Is there a difference between these BMCRE examples that I am missing?  Does the RIC (3) apply?  Here is mine, with the last description I came up with:

FaustinaII-Sest.DianaFAVSTINAAVGPIIAVGFILRIC1383b-MINE2023pic(0).jpg.621cba51bd0dd7f1a7dcbcc5e615e3cd.jpg

Faustina II Æ Sestertius (Autumn 154-Dec. 155 A.D.) Rome Mint FAVSTINA AVG PII [AVG F]IL, draped bust right S-C, Diana standing front, head left, holding arrow in right hand, resting l. on bow set on ground. RIC III Ant. Pius 1383b; BMCRE 2183; Cohen RSC 206.  (22.82 grams / 30 x 28 mm) eBay Feb. 2023   

Dating:  "These coins were introduced in autumn AD 154 and continue until the adoption of the ...AVGVSTA AVG PII F legend in January 156.  I thus date these coins to autumn AD 154- December AD 155.(Beckmann type 5 hairstyle) (Roman Collector on NF) Die-Match Obverse: Roman Collector on Numis Forums, Oct. 28, 2022 

Here is a comparison with the @Roman Collector example:

FaustinaII-Sest.DianaFAVSTINAAVGPIIAVGFILRIC1383b-MINE2023pic(0comp).jpg.8fe1eac7a05920d03a08161a95d5d919.jpg

Again, thanks for the great post, RC.  Informative and interesting as always.  And apologies in advance for my muddling through as usual!  

 

Our obverse die-matching coins with the type 5 hairstyle would be Sulzer 1530, with the FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL legend. This one came with two hairstyles, the earlier type 2 coiffure, and the later type 5. I chose to illustrate Sulzer 1530 with only one of them, the type 2 bust version, which has better eye-appeal than the die-matched one to yours. Sulzer, of course, didn't separate the coins by hairdo. Neither does RIC or Cohen.

If you go to the British Museum website and search for "Faustina Younger 1383," you see four examples of RIC 1383 (Sulzer 1530). You'll notice two with the type 2 coiffure and one that is an obverse die match to ours, with the Type 5 hairstyle. There is also an interesting one which Beckmann believes is a transitional hairstyle that represents early attempts to portray the empress's actual Type 5 coiffure, with cross-hatched braiding in the chignon, but which proved too technically difficult for mass production.

Sulzer 1531, on the other hand, has the later, longer FAVSTINA AVGVSTA AVG PII F inscription. Our die-matched coins do not bear this legend.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Roman Collector said:

Our obverse die-matching coins with the type 5 hairstyle would be Sulzer 1530, with the FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL legend. This one came with two hairstyles, the earlier type 2 coiffure, and the later type 5. I chose to illustrate Sulzer 1530 with only one of them, the type 2 bust version, which has better eye-appeal than the die-matched one to yours. Sulzer, of course, didn't separate the coins by hairdo. Neither does RIC or Cohen.

If you go to the British Museum website and search for "Faustina Younger 1383," you see four examples of RIC 1383 (Sulzer 1530). You'll notice two with the type 2 coiffure and one that is an obverse die match to ours, with the Type 5 hairstyle. There is also an interesting one which Beckmann believes is a transitional hairstyle that represents early attempts to portray the empress's actual Type 5 coiffure, with cross-hatched braiding in the chignon, but which proved too technically difficult for mass production.

Sulzer 1531, on the other hand, has the later, longer FAVSTINA AVGVSTA AVG PII F inscription. Our die-matched coins do not bear this legend.

Thank you so much for helping me with this, RC.  Attributions have been corrected!  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Finally, this is the last of my matching Sulzer types from this post - Diana amongst the stars.  

Here is Diana standing right (RIC 1715 / Sulzer 1536):

FaustinaII-SestertiusDianaSIDERIBVSRECEPTArightRIC1715-MINEFeb2020(0aq).jpg.9c37a8ae6f06820a24789ad82c2b6c69.jpg

Faustina II            Æ Sestertius (176-180 A.D.) Rome Mint, 4th post. issue DIVA FAVSTINA PIA, draped bust right / [SIDERIBVS RECEPTA] S-C, Diana Lucifera standing right, crescent on shoulders, holding torch. RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1715; BMCRE 1584-1588; RSC 215. (18.83 grams / 28 x 26 mm) eBay Feb. 2020

Here is Diana standing left (RIC 1716 / Sulzer 1536).  I have two of these: 

FaustinaII-SestertiusDianaSIDERIBVSRECEPTAleftRIC1716-MINEOct2018(0).jpg.c916bb88a1b5cb1168e8a8f115b8aa4a.jpg

Faustina II   Æ Sestertius (176-180 A.D.) Rome Mint, 4th post. issue [D]IVA FAVSTINA PIA, draped bust right / SIDERIBVS RECEPTA S-C, Diana Lucifera standing left, crescent on shoulders, holding torch. RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1716; BMCRE 1589-1590; RSC 216.  (24.66 grams / 29 x 27 mm) eBay Oct. 2018  Die-Match Characteristics: Obv: A-FAV gap; crooked S. Rev: Torch nearly touches C. Die-Match Obverse:  Münzkabinett der Universität Göttingen Inventarnummer: UK-01201 (OCRE Identifier 186363) (also Numista example) Roma Numismatics Limited E-Sale 27; Lot 577; 28.05.2016 (Chapdelaine Collection).

 FaustinaII-SestertiusDianaSIDERIBVSRECEPTAleftRIC1716-MINEAug2018pic.jpg.bb69fcf25a55d0e3390c2be56a46643e.jpg 

Faustina II  Æ Sestertius (176-180 A.D.) Rome Mint, 4th post. issue DIVA FAVSTINA [PIA], draped bust r. / [S]IDERIB[VS] [REC]EP[TA] S-C, Diana Lucifera standing left, crescent on shoulders, holding torch. RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1716; BMCRE 1589-1590; RSC 216.  (21.23 grams / 30 x 29  mm) eBay Aug. 2018 

Thanks again for another great Faustina/Sulzer installmen @Roman Collector.  Keep up the good work.  

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...