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Faustina Friday – Recreating Sulzer’s Collection of Faustina the Younger, Part 5


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Its Friday Yes GIF by Denyse®

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 last of Faustina the Younger's lifetime sestertii and illustrated a few sestertii issued posthumously for her. This week, we finish up her posthumous sestertii and move on to the middle bronze denominations in Sulzer's collection. His collection of middle bronzes was very extensive, and we will be occupied with them for a few more weeks. This week features coins on pages 183-184 of the catalog to his collection.

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.

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.

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


Sulzer183b.JPG.15d74ccc6bf5ca86a0c05e815d349a48.JPG
Sulzer184.JPG.2114ee8986cb7cda4c4c536c1b65f87f.JPG

Sulzer #1537:

FaustinaJrAETERNITASSCstandingsestertius.jpg.f360d6bd2927adaaa697a7b6333f404d.jpg

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 23.73 g, 30.8 mm, 1 h.
Rome, 176 CE or later.
Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA PIA, bare-headed and draped bust right.
Rev: Aeternitas standing facing, head left, holding phoenix on globe in right hand and leaning left elbow on column.
Refs: RIC 1693; BMCRE 1563-65; Cohen 7; RCV 5222; MIR 51; Banti 4.
Notes: An issue illustrating some of the iconography related to the empress’s consecration.


Sulzer #1538:

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


Sulzer184a.JPG.02700ba28c7d94536185ce8ba09af598.JPG

I translate the reverse description as follows:

AETERNITAS S. C. Female figure standing, holding a globe in her right hand, leaning on a staff with her left elbow.

As is typical for late Antonine coinage, the engraving on Faustina's posthumous coinage is typically crude in style and of low relief. The coins circulated well into the Severan period and are typically found well-worn. I strongly suspect that Sulzer's specimen was of low grade, with its reverse devices so worn as to be difficult to interpret. Sulzer's coin was undoubtedly a duplicate copy of #1537, above.

Sulzer #1539:


FaustinaJrMATRICASTRORVMSCposthumoussestertius.jpg.92243d8a3a476b984f7eeae57e102f4c.jpg

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 25.19 g, 30.7 mm, 5 h.
Rome, 176 CE and later.
Obv: DIVAE FAVSTINAE PIAE, veiled and draped bust, right.
Rev: MATRI CASTRORVM S C, Faustina II seated left, holding phoenix on globe in right hand and transverse scepter in left hand; before her, three legionary standards.
Refs: RIC 1711; BMC 1556; Cohen 162; Sear –; MIR 49-6/19.
Notes: Issued in honor of the empress receiving the title of Mater Castrorum, "The Mother of the Camps."


We move now to the middle bronze denominations in Sulzer's collection. The term "middle bronze" is used for the copper as and orichalcum dupondius denominations collectively. Unlike the case with emperors, for which the radiate crown indicates the dupondius, the coins of empresses and princes do not bear any design features to distinguish between the two middle bronze denominations but were distinguished in antiquity by the type of metal with which they were struck. Distinguishing the denominations on a fully patinated coin can be difficult. Mattingly cautions, "There is no general way of distinguishing the two denominations. For the most part they seem to be Asses. In the case of individual specimens, weight and colour usually permit of a decision."[1]

Sulzer #1540:


FaustinaJrAVGVSTIPIIFILSCVenusVictrixMB.jpg.2655dd6f022123dbc38cc8bac7a05f3e.jpg

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman Æ as or dupondius, 12.05 g, 25.3 mm, 12 h.
Rome, August 156-157 CE.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: AVGVSTI PII FIL S C, Venus Victrix standing facing, head left, holding Victory on extended right hand and resting left hand on shield, set on helmet.
Refs: RIC 1389a; BMCRE 2202; Cohen 17; Sear 4721; Strack 1333.
Notes: From August 156 to 157 CE, the empress's titulature of filiation was moved to the reverse of her coinage. This Venus Victrix type was but one of several different reverse designs bearing the legend AVGVSTI PII FIL.


Sulzer #1541:

Sulzer's description of the coin in his collection is vague. This is his Latin description.


Sulzer184b.JPG.dc2db814d23826961b971f6186f3ce85.JPG

I translate the reverse description as follows:

CERES S. C. Ceres seated on modius, right hand holding two grain ears, left hand a lighted torch.

Sulzer's catalog could be referring to either of two coins bearing similar reverse designs but which were issued at least six years apart, as I have discussed here and elsewhere. I can't blame him, for even Cohen and RIC confuse the issues. The earlier depicts the empress in the Beckmann Type 7 or Type 9 hairstyle and features Ceres holding a short, transverse torch. The latter depicts the empress in the Beckmann Type 10 hairstyle and features Ceres holding a long, vertical torch. The latter is extremely rare in the middle bronze denomination. It is unlisted in RIC, BMCRE, and Cohen, and I am aware of only two specimens in existence.[2] The former, on the other hand, is quite common and I shall assume the specimen in Sulzer's collection was the earlier issue.


FaustinaJrCERESSCseatedMB.jpg.b1b969fdd447d3345bcf5ef250e50105.jpg

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman Æ as or dupondius, 9.64 g, 23.6 mm, 5 h.
Rome, 162-164 CE.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right (Beckmann Type 9 hairstyle).
Rev: CERES S C, Ceres, veiled, seated left on cista, holding corn-ears and short transverse torch.
Refs: RIC 1622 corr.; BMC 967; Cohen 38; RCV 5290; MIR 2-7/10b.
Note: RIC 1622 erroneously describes Ceres as holding a "long torch."


Sulzer #1542:

FaustinaJrCONCORDIASCseatedMBunderMarcus.jpg.a6a4caa37a2d1c7ae6505ad514d5f39b.jpg

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman Æ as, 9.03 g, 24.5 mm, 11 h.
Rome, c. 166 CE.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right (Beckmann Type 7 coiffure).
Rev: CONCORDIA S C, Concordia seated left, holding patera and resting left arm on side of throne.
Refs: RIC 1627; BMCRE 969-970; C 59 var.; RCV 5292; MIR 5-7/10a.
Notes: In contrast with the numerous Concordia types issued under Antoninus Pius, the Concordia issues under Marcus Aurelius were much more limited in scope.


Sulzer #1543:

FaustinaJrDIANALVCIFSCMB.jpg.25652868f8290f5ce3f6bf59374aa662.jpg

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman Æ as or dupondius, 10.87 g, 26.3 mm, 11 h.
Rome, late 157 CE.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: DIANA LVCIF S C, Diana standing left, holding long transverse lighted torch with both hands.
Refs: RIC 1629; BMCRE 972-73; Cohen 86; Strack 1333; RCV 5293; MIR 7-7/10a.
Notes: Diana Lucifera was a goddess of childbirth. This issue likely commemorates the birth of a male child (T. Aelius Aurelius?) in late AD 157 who later died in infancy. I have written about this previously elsewhere.


Sulzer #1544:

FaustinaJrFECVNDITASSCDupondius.jpg.01fd4f545abee6475862082d16d4648f.jpg

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman Æ as or dupondius, 15.32 g, 25.8 mm, 6 h.
Rome, late 162 – early 163 CE.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, draped bust of Faustina, right, wearing strand of pearls.
Rev: FECVNDITAS SC, (Faustina as) Fecunditas standing right, holding scepter and infant.
Refs: RIC 1639; BMCRE 980-81; Cohen101; RCV 5295; MIR 9-7/10a, b.
Notes: Issued to commemorate the birth of Marcus Annius Verus in 162 CE. It is also known with a stephaned bust type.


Sulzer #1545-47:

Sulzer describes 1545 differently than 1546 and 1547. Here is his Latin description of each.


Sulzer184c.JPG.7bb4be197584cf5d741b9fb9fb88bef9.JPG

I translate his reverse descriptions of 1545 and 1546, respectively, as follows (1547 is simply described as "same coin").

FECVND AVGVSTAE S. C. Fecunditas standing between two children, carrying two others in each arm.

FECVND AVGVSTAE S. C. Female figure standing, holding a child in each arm, while two others stand alongside.

Although there are some varieties of this coin, such as a left-facing bust (RIC 1637) or with Fecunditas facing right instead of left (about which I plan a future installment of Faustina Friday), these varieties are quite rare and Sulzer does not make explicit mention of these design features. I don't know why he describes #1546 differently from #1545, and he would typically note a duplicate with idem, "same," but I suspect all three coins were of the same type, illustrated below.


FaustinaJrFECVNDAVGVSTAESCstglDupondius.jpg.c09ddfcb455e8660e19ee90b58a08456.jpg

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman
Æ as or dupondius, 12.45 gm, 27.1 mm, 12 h.
Rome, December 160 CE.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right (Beckmann Type 5 hairstyle).
Rev: FECVND AVGVSTAE S C, (Faustina as) Fecunditas standing facing, head left, between two children (thought to represent Faustina III and Lucilla), holding two infants in her arms (thought to represent Fadilla and Cornificia).
Refs: RIC 1636; BMCRE 977-979; Cohen 97; Strack 1336; RCV 5294; MIR
10-7/10a.
Note: Issued to
commemorate the birth of Marcus Aurelius' and Faustina II's daughter Annia Cornificia Faustina Minor, known simply as Cornificia.


Next week, we will continue with the middle bronze issues on page 185 of the catalog of Sulzer's collection and wrap up things in two weeks with page 186.

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

~~~

Notes


1. Mattingly, Harold, Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, vol. IV: Antoninus Pius to Commodus. Introduction, indexes and plates. London, BMP, 1968, p. 173†.

2. MIR 3-7/10c, citing Münzhandlung Basel (Auction 1, [Prince Waldeck]), 28.6.1934, pl. 33, 1379; Classical Numismatic Group, Inc., Electronic Auction 128, lot 394, 7 December 2005.

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Thanks for the lastest Sulzer installment of FF, @Roman Collector.  I only have three matches this time around:

Here's the first in the OP - I have two of these, both very worn in slightly different ways.  Here's one of Sulzer 1537 (RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1693)

FaustinaII-SestertiusAETERNITASglobephoenixRIC1693-MINEMay19pic.jpg.2fc725c328597f119634ffc2156e69dc.jpg

 

This one is not really a match - mine has two standards, not the "tria signa militaria" in Sulzer's description.  And so Sulzer 1539 (RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1711 - 3 Standards(Mine is RIC 1712, two standards):  

FaustinaII-SestertiusMATRICASTRORVM2standardsRIC1712-MINE.jpg.a105f53219568b6e3b1af2d421056df8.jpg

Actually mine has no signa, thanks to a lot of wear on the reverse, but I found two die-matches, I think (one of them from the British Museum), so I think mine had two signa when struck:

FaustinaII-SestertiusMATRICASTRORVM2standardsRIC1712-MINEComp.jpg.a234c8e5b9dad11c59191e4b1b727554.jpg

 

Here's the only one of the middle bronze types from this post Sulzer 1540 (RIC III Antoninus Pius 1389a)

FaustinaII-AsVENVSwithshieldonhelmetRIC1389a-MINEJun2018pic.jpg.cfd3cff60e75ee8fa98df7d7c567dd95.jpg

Again, thanks and keep up the good work, RC. 

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6 hours ago, Marsyas Mike said:

Thanks for the lastest Sulzer installment of FF, @Roman Collector.  I only have three matches this time around:

Here's the first in the OP - I have two of these, both very worn in slightly different ways.  Here's one of Sulzer 1537 (RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1693)

FaustinaII-SestertiusAETERNITASglobephoenixRIC1693-MINEMay19pic.jpg.2fc725c328597f119634ffc2156e69dc.jpg

 

This one is not really a match - mine has two standards, not the "tria signa militaria" in Sulzer's description.  And so Sulzer 1539 (RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1711 - 3 Standards(Mine is RIC 1712, two standards):  

FaustinaII-SestertiusMATRICASTRORVM2standardsRIC1712-MINE.jpg.a105f53219568b6e3b1af2d421056df8.jpg

Actually mine has no signa, thanks to a lot of wear on the reverse, but I found two die-matches, I think (one of them from the British Museum), so I think mine had two signa when struck:

FaustinaII-SestertiusMATRICASTRORVM2standardsRIC1712-MINEComp.jpg.a234c8e5b9dad11c59191e4b1b727554.jpg

 

Here's the only one of the middle bronze types from this post Sulzer 1540 (RIC III Antoninus Pius 1389a)

FaustinaII-AsVENVSwithshieldonhelmetRIC1389a-MINEJun2018pic.jpg.cfd3cff60e75ee8fa98df7d7c567dd95.jpg

Again, thanks and keep up the good work, RC. 

Thank you for reading and for your kind words, @Marsyas Mike! It's always a pleasure to see specimens from your extensive collection. I'm still on the lookout for that two-standards RIC 1712 variety!

Tune in Friday -- there's more Faustina to come!

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