Happy Birthday, Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus and younger twin brother Commodus!!

[Roman Collector]

On 31 August, 914 Ab urbe condita (161 CE), Faustina the Younger delivered her twin boys, the heir and a spare, Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus and his younger twin brother Commodus. This event was commemorated by two issues for their mother, the SAECVLI FELIC issue depicting the babies on a pulvinar, and the TEMPOR FELIC issue, depicting the empress and her children, the four older daughters standing beside her while she holds the twin boys in her arms.

Faustina Junior, AD 147 – 175.
Roman AR denarius, 3.22 g, 17.0 mm, 12 h.
Rome, AD 161.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: SAECVLI FELICIT, Throne, upon which are seated two infant boys, Antoninus and Commodus.
Refs: RIC 711; BMCRE 136; Cohen 191; RCV 5260 var. (no stephane); CRE 221; MIR27-4/10a, b.

Faustina II, AD 147-175.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 22.64 g, 30.0 mm, 12 h.
Rome, AD 161.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, draped bust, right, wearing stephane.
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: Sometimes each infant held in arms has a star above his head.

Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus, the apparent heir to Marcus Aurelius, was named after his great grandfather on both his mother's and father's side, Titus Aurelius Fulvus, the father of Antoninus Pius. Sadly, the little fellow died in 165, leaving his younger brother Commodus to inherit the purple. The rest is history.

Commodus, AD 177-192.
Roman AR denarius, 3.42 g, 18 mm, 12 h.
Rome, AD 180.
Obv: M COMMODVS ANTONINVS AVG, laureate and cuirassed bust right.
Rev: LIB AVG TR P V IMP IIII COS II P P, Liberalitas standing left, holding tessera and cornucopiae.
Refs: RIC 10a; Cohen 301; BMC 4.

Let's see your coins of Commodus!

Edited August 31, 2023 by Roman Collector
Clarity

[shanxi]

6 hours ago, Roman Collector said:

Let's see your coins of Commodus!

Commodus instead of Faustina on Friday, what happened?  Ah, it's thursday 

 

But OK, here are some provincial coins:

Lydia. Hierocaesaraea
Commodus
Ail. Artemidoros, archon
Bronze, Æ 30
Obv: ΑVΤ ΚΑΙ Λ ΑVΡΗ ΚΟΜΜΟΔΟС, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
Rev: ЄΠ ΑΙO ΑΡΤЄΜΙΔΩΡΟV ΑΡΧ ΙЄΡΟΚΑΙСΑΡЄ, Artemis driving biga of stags right, holding bow and drawing arrow from quiver on back. This example has a shorter reverse legend.
Æ, 30mm, 16.47g
RPC IV.2 online 1272-8 (this coin)

 

Commodus
Alexandria
Billon-Tetradrachm
Obv.: M A KOM ANTω CЄB ЄYCЄB, laureate head right
Rev.: Bust of Selene left within crescent; LΛ (date) to right, LΛ= year 30 = AD 189/190
Billon, 11.19g, 23mm
Ref.: Geißen 2252, Dattari 3889

 

LYDIA. Hierocaesaraea. Commodus, 177-192. Tetrassarion
A. Io. Artemidoros, first archon, circa 179-180
Obv: ΑYΤ ΚΑΙ Λ ΑYΡ ΚΟΜΜΟΔΟϹ, laureate-headed bust of Commodus (lightly bearded) wearing cuirass and paludamentum, r., seen from front
Rev. ЄΠ ΙΟ ΑΡΤЄΜΙΔΩΡΟV ΑΡΧ ΙЄΡΟΚΑΙϹΑΡЄΩΝ Tetrastyle temple set on base with three steps; within, statue of Artemis hurrying to right and shooting bow.
AE, 28 mm, 12.01 g, 6 h
Ref.: RPC IV.2 online 11399 (same dies). Apparently the second known example.

 

and one with Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus 

Faustina II
Sestertius
Obv.: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, Draped bust right, wearing stephane, hair in chignon at the back of the head.
Rev.: SAECVLI FELICIT / S - C, The twins T. Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus and Commodus facing on throne
AE, 23.94g, 32.2mm
Ref.: RIC 1665, C 193

Edited August 31, 2023 by shanxi

[Salomons Cat]

Who knows what would have happened if Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus had survived - maybe we would all be citizens of Rome now? Or slaves... 🤔

Here on the reverse the small Commodus and the small Antoninus:

Faustina Jr., Denarius, struck 161 AD.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA. Bare-headed, draped bust right. 
Rev: SAECVLI FELICIT. Infants (Commodus and Antoninus) seated on ornamented and draped throne vis-à-vis, each raising hand over globe between.
RIC 711

And here comes Commodus, lived 161-192 AD:

From left to right, upper row first: 

1. Commodus at age 15. Obv: COMMODO CAES AVG FIL GERM SARM. Rev: HILARITAS. Ref: RIC III 611 (Aurelius). Rome mint, AD 175-176. 3.45 g - 19 mm

2. Commodus at age 15. Obv: COMMODO CAES AUG FIL GERM SARM. Rev: PRINC IUVENT. Ref: RIC -; BMC -; Cohen -. MIR 342-14/15 (no example recorded). Apparently unpublished with this bust type. Rome, 175-176 AD. 3.48 g - 18 mm. Ex Leu 07/2022, Adrian Lang collection.

3. Commodus at about age 22. Obv: M COMMODVS ANTON AVG PIVS. Rev: P M TR P VIIII IMP VII COS IIII P P, modius with seven grain stalks. RIC III 94. Rome, AD 184. 

4. Commodus at about age 30. Obv: L AEL AVREL C – OMM AVG P FEL, wearing lion skin headdress. Rev: HERCVLI ROMANO AVG, club flanked by bow and quiver. RIC 253. 3.38 g - 18 mm. Ex Jeremy (numisforums) and ex Naumann 09/2019.

5. Commodus at about age 30. Obv: L AEL AVREL COMM AVG P FEL, wearing lion skin headdress. Rev: HERCVL ROMAN AVGV. Rome, 192 AD. 17mm - 3.11g. Ex Prieure de Sion (numisforums) and ex Noonans 03/2023, Graham Collection.

6. Commodus at about age 24 with presumed damnatio memoriae. Obv: M COMM ANT P FEL AVG BRIT. Rev: FID EXERC P M TR P XI IMP VII COS V P P, RIC III 130d. Rome, 186 AD. 18mm - 3.09g. Ex Prieure de Sion (numisforums) and Numidas Numismatik Vienna, (Catawiki Auction 68867989).
    

[Ryro]

Great thread and enlightening read! Man, I love your portrait of Commodus!

Here are a few of mine:

[DonnaML]

I just posted my small handful of coins issued by Commodus -- not including the one in the Leu package that got lost or stolen! -- in the reverses thread, so I won't repeat them here. Instead, I'll post my own specimens of the types shown by @Roman Collector depicting the infant Commodus and his twin on the reverse of their mother's coins:

Faustina II [Junior] (wife of Marcus Aurelius & daughter of Antoninus Pius), AR Denarius, Rome Mint, 161 AD. Obv. Draped bust right, hair in chignon behind, wearing stephane, FAVSTINA AVGVSTA / Rev. Two infant boys seated on draped throne (pulvinar), each raising an arm towards the other, with hands touching [compass dot between them], SAECVLI FELICIT. RIC III [Marcus Aurelius] 712, RSC II 191 [variety without stars above boys’ heads], Sear RCV II 5260 (ill.), BMCRE IV Marcus Aurelius 139, Dinsdale 005600(a) [Dinsdale, Paul H., The Imperial Coinage of the Middle Antonines: Marcus Aurelius with Lucius Verus and Commodus, Ch. 4, Faustina II - Undated, 158-176 (2020) at p. 57; photo at p. 62 (see http://romanpaulus.x10host.com/Marcus/04 - Faustina II - Undated, 158-176 (med_res).pdf)]. 17.5 mm., 3.39 g., 12h.*

 

*The two infant boys are Faustina II’s twin sons b. 31 Aug 161 AD: Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus (the older twin, d. 165 AD) and Commodus, the ninth and tenth children of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina II.

Faustina II [Junior] (wife of Marcus Aurelius & daughter of Antoninus Pius), AE As or orichalcum Dupondius, Rome Mint, 161 AD. Obv. Draped bust right, hair in chignon behind, FAVSTINA AVGVSTA / Rev. Two infant boys seated on draped throne (pulvinar), each raising an arm towards the other, with hands touching, SAECVLI FELICIT; S - C across fields. RIC III [Marcus Aurelius] 1666, BMCRE IV Marcus Aurelius 991, Cohen 194, RCV II 5302, Dinsdale 006660 [variety without stars above boys’ heads] [Dinsdale, Paul H., The Imperial Coinage of the Middle Antonines: Marcus Aurelius with Lucius Verus and Commodus, Ch. 4, Faustina II - Undated, 158-176 (2020) at p. 69; photo at p. 75 (see http://romanpaulus.x10host.com/Marcus/04%20-%20Faustina%20II%20-%20Undated,%20158-176%20%28med_res%29.pdf)]. 25 mm., 11.5 g. Purchased from Incitatus Coins (Steve McBride), St. Johns, NL, Canada, May 2022.*

 

*See footnote to previous coin.

Faustina II (wife of Marcus Aurelius & daughter of Antoninus Pius), AE Sestertius, ca. 161 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Draped bust right, low chignon at back of head, FAVSTINA AVGVSTA / Rev. Felicitas (or Faustina as Fecunditas) standing left, between four girls (two standing at each side), holding two infants in her arms, each with a star over its head (representing the Dioscuri), TEMPOR FELIC [-IC almost entirely worn off], S - C across fields. RIC III 1673 (at p. 147), var. [no stars above infants’ heads]; BMCRE MA 949 var [same]; Cohen 222; Dinsdale 006760 & n. 1 [Dinsdale, Paul H., The Imperial Coinage of the Middle Antonines: Marcus Aurelius with Lucius Verus and Commodus, Ch. 4, Faustina II - Undated, 158-176 (http://romanpaulus.x10host.com/Marcus/04 - Faustina II - Undated, 158-176 (med_res).pdf) at p. 70] (“Minor rev. variation: sometimes each infant held in arms has star above head”). 31 mm., 24 gm. Purchased from Victor’s Imperial Coins, March 2021. Ex. CNG E-Auction 476, 9/09/2020, part of Lot 762; ex. BLS Collection.*

 

*This variation of RIC III 1673 (with stars above the two infants’ heads) is unlisted in RIC or BMCRE, and appears to be mentioned only in the footnote to Dinsdale 006760. (RIC III 1677 does have stars above the infants’ heads, but is an as, not a sestertius.)  Of the 14 other examples found on acsearch of RIC 1673 and 1674 (the same design as 1673 but with a diadem on Faustina’s head; see Sear RCV II 5284), only one other example (of RIC 1673) has the stars above the infants’ heads. See https://www.acsearch.info/image.html?id=6215913 (Numismatik Naumann, Auction 80, Lot 568, 4 Aug 2019).

The four girls standing on either side of Felicitas on the reverse of this type have been identified as Marcus Aurelius’s and Faustina II’s daughters Annia Faustina (a/k/a Faustina III), Lucilla, Fadilla, and Cornificia -- the last of whom was born in 160 AD. The two infants held in her arms have been identified as Faustina II’s twin sons b. 31 Aug 161 AD: Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus (the older twin, d. 165 AD) and Commodus, the ninth and tenth children of the royal couple. See Foss, Roman Historical Coins.

 [Note that on the example posted by @Roman Collector, there are no stars above the twins' heads.]

Edited September 1, 2023 by DonnaML