Roman Collector Posted November 3, 2023 · Patron Share Posted November 3, 2023 (edited) Friday felicitations, fellow Faustina fanatics! I hope you have a coin-filled weekend and that you're not competing with me for coins at auction. 😉 Today we'll be talking about his new addition to my numophylacium Faustinarum, a sestertius of the SALVTI AVGVSTAE, Salus seated left reverse type featuring a left-facing obverse portrait. I'm always on the lookout for coins of Faustina featuring the empress facing left. Left-facing busts on coins of Faustina the Younger are known on a handful of different reverse types, and they are considerably less common than their right-facing counterparts. Therefore, I always snatch them up no matter their grade. So, while the condition-crank would say no to this one … … I took the opportunity to acquire it for my collection. Faustina II, 147 CE – 175 CE. Roman orichalcum sestertius, 23.66 g, 32.4 mm, 11 h. Rome, late 161 – c. 164 CE. Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, left (Beckmann Type 7 hairstyle). Rev: SALVTI AVGVSTAE, Salus seated left, feeding a snake coiled round altar from a patera in the right hand and resting left arm on chair. Refs: RIC 1669; BMCRE 942n.; Cohen 204; RCV –; MIR 30-6/20b; Banti 111; Cayon 90. Notes: RIC, BMCRE, MIR, Banti, and Cayon all site Cohen (Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF), Paris). See also Baldwin's Auctions Ltd, Auction 44, lot 239, 2 May 2006 and Heritage Auctions, Inc., auction 61160, lot 97346, 10 May 2020. The Dating and Purpose of the Issue I have discussed this reverse type in great detail elsewhere, so I will present only a brief summary of what is known about the dating and purpose of this issue. Please refer to the references in that previous installment of Faustina Friday for citations. Beckmann postulates they were issued in response to a health crisis experienced by Faustina in conjunction with or shortly after the birth of her twins on 31 August, 161 CE. We have no historical record of any such illness, but our primary sources are quite limited and it doesn't take much to imagine she may have experienced obstetrical complications. However, by all indications, the reverse type was in production for years, ceasing perhaps as late as 164 CE. Even if the original purpose of the issue was in response to some sort of health crisis suffered by the empress after childbirth, the years-long duration of the issues suggests their purpose was not limited to an invocation to the goddess for healing after a temporary obstetrical complication such as hemorrhage or infection. If these coins were, in fact, issued in response to a health concern, the duration of the Salus coinage suggests the empress developed a chronic health problem that plagued her for many years. We have no record of such and she went on to deliver three more children despite any health problems she may have had. Rather, I think the reverse type may not reflect any specific historical event; Salus is a rather common reverse type used on the coins of many emperors and empresses throughout the Roman principate. Inventory of Known Specimens and Die Analysis The coin is extremely rare. A single specimen of this coin is cited in the literature. As noted above, Cohen cites a specimen in the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) in Paris (Cohen 204). RIC, BMCRE, MIR, Banti, and Cayon in turn site Cohen. After a comprehensive search at the usual internet databases, such as acsearchinfo, OCRE, Coin Archives, and Wildwinds, I have identified two additional specimens, one from a Baldwin's Auction in 2006 and another from a Heritage Auction in 2020. I illustrate these below. Unfortunately, the BnF specimen is not illustrated online and I cannot do a die comparison to that particular coin. Baldwin's Auctions Ltd, Auction 44, lot 239, 2 May 2006. Heritage Auctions, Inc., auction 61160, lot 97346, 10 May 2020. My coin is an obverse die match to the Baldwin's specimen, but the Heritage specimen was struck with a different die-pair. This indicates that the left-facing bust type, rare as it is, was purposely used at the Rome mint and that the variety did not arise from some type of error. The variety has no known significance. We know from Beckmann's die-linkage studies of the aurei and sestertii of Faustina the Elder and of the aurei of Faustina the Younger that left-facing busts were issued for a few different reverse types for the two empresses and always simultaneously with the right-facing portrait types. Therefore, it would be a mistake to consider this coin a separate issue. Rather, it is best taken as a variety of the greater SALVTI AVGVSTAE, Salus seated issue. The same can be said about the presence or absence of the stephane on the coins of this issue. If you know of additional specimens of this left-facing bust type, please let me know. Let's see your humble rarities, left-facing Antonines, or anything you feel is relevant! Edited November 27, 2023 by Roman Collector Spelling. 8 2 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambr0zie Posted November 3, 2023 · Member Share Posted November 3, 2023 Congratulations, @Roman Collector! I like the coin and even if it is worn, I think the portrait is great. Left facing - major bonus. My relevant contribution - a similar reverse from her son. You should remember this coin as you mentioned you don't have it but this was some while ago so not sure if you haven't added it. 17 mm, 3,31 g. Commodus 180-192. AR denarius. Rome. 187-188. M COMM ANT P FEL AVG BRIT, head of Commodus, laureate, right / P M TR P XIII IMP VIII COS V P P, Salus, draped, seated left on low seat, feeding from patera in right hand snake coiled round altar. RIC III Commodus 169; RSC 544. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy_collector Posted November 5, 2023 · Member Share Posted November 5, 2023 (edited) Great thread, and congrats to your addition, @Roman Collector. I agree that left-facing Faustina coins do not come up so often. I picked up this left-facing Faustina Senior earlier this year, even though it is over-cleaned and reverse very blurry. Well, I guess the most important thing is a recognizable Faustina portrait. 🙂 Faustina Senior. AE Sestertius, under Antoninus Pius. 141 AD. Obv: DIVA AVGVSTA FAVSTINA. Veiled and draped bust of Diva Faustina I wearing stephane Rev: PIET-AS AVG, S C across field. Pietas standing facing left. 31mm, 24.94g. Edited November 5, 2023 by happy_collector 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPK Posted November 5, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted November 5, 2023 On 11/3/2023 at 1:12 AM, Roman Collector said: Friday felicitations, fellow Faustina fanatics! I hope you have a coin-filled weekend and that you're not competing with me for coins at auction. 😉 Today we'll be talking about his new addition to my numophylacium Faustinarum, a sestertius of the SALVTI AVGVSTAE, Salus seated left reverse type featuring a left-facing obverse portrait. I'm always on the lookout for coins of Faustina featuring the empress facing left. Left-facing busts on coins of Faustina the Younger are known on a handful of different reverse types, and they are considerably less common than their right-facing counterparts. Therefore, I always snatch them up no matter their grade. So, while the condition-crank would say no to this one … … I took the opportunity to acquire it for my collection. Faustina II, 147 CE – 175 CE. Roman orichalcum sestertius, 23.66 g, 32.4 mm, 11 h. Rome, late 161 – c. 164 CE. Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, left (Beckmann Type 7 hairstyle). Rev: SALVTI AVGVSTAE, Salus seated left, feeding a snake coiled round altar from a patera in the right hand and resting left arm on chair. Refs: RIC 1669; BMCRE 942n.; Cohen 204; RCV –; MIR 30-6/20b; Banti 111; Cayon 90. Notes: RIC, BMCRE, MIR, Banti, and Cayon all site Cohen (Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF), Paris). See also Baldwin's Auctions Ltd, Auction 44, lot 239, 2 May 2006 and Heritage Auctions, Inc., auction 61160, lot 97346, 10 May 2020. The Dating and Purpose of the Issue I have discussed this reverse type in great detail elsewhere, so I will present only a brief summary of what is known about the dating and purpose of this issue. Please refer to the references in that previous installment of Faustina Friday for citations. Beckmann postulates they were issued in response to a health crisis experienced by Faustina in conjunction with or shortly after the birth of her twins on 31 August, 161 CE. We have no historical record of any such illness, but our primary sources are quite limited and it doesn't take much to imagine she may have experienced obstetrical complications. However, by all indications, the reverse type was in production for years, ceasing perhaps as late as 164 CE. Even if the original purpose of the issue was in response to some sort of health crisis suffered by the empress after childbirth, the years-long duration of the issues suggests their purpose was not limited to an invocation to the goddess for healing after a temporary obstetrical complication such as hemorrhage or infection. If these coins were, in fact, issued in response to a health concern, the duration of the Salus coinage suggests the empress developed a chronic health problem that plagued her for many years. We have no record of such and she went on to deliver three more children despite any health problems she may have had. Rather, I think the reverse type may not reflect any specific historical event; Salus is a rather common reverse type used on the coins of many emperors and empresses throughout the Roman principate. Inventory of Known Specimens and Die Analysis The coin is extremely rare. A single specimen of this coin is cited in the literature. As noted above, Cohen cites a specimen in the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) in Paris (Cohen 204). RIC, BMCRE, MIR, Banti, and Cayon in turn site Cohen. After a comprehensive search at the usual internet databases, such as acsearchinfo, OCRE, Coin Archives, and Wildwinds, I have identified two additional specimens, one from a Baldwin's Auction in 2006 and another from a Heritage Auction in 2020. I illustrate these below. Unfortunately, the BnF specimen is not illustrated online and I cannot due a die comparison to that particular coin. Baldwin's Auctions Ltd, Auction 44, lot 239, 2 May 2006. Heritage Auctions, Inc., auction 61160, lot 97346, 10 May 2020. My coin is an obverse die match to the Baldwin's specimen, but the Heritage specimen was struck with a different die-pair. This indicates that the left-facing bust type, rare as it is, was purposely used at the Rome mint and that the variety did not arise from some type of error. The variety has no known significance. We know from Beckmann's die-linkage studies of the aurei and sestertii of Faustina the Elder and of the aurei of Faustina the Younger that left-facing busts were issued for a few different reverse types for the two empresses and always simultaneously with the right-facing portrait types. Therefore, it would be a mistake to consider this coin a separate issue. Rather, it is best taken as a variety of the greater SALVTI AVGVSTAE, Salus seated issue. The same can be said about the presence or absence of the stephane on the coins of this issue. If you know of additional specimens of this left-facing bust type, please let me know. Let's see your humble rarities, left-facing Antonines, or anything you feel is relevant! I really like the portrait on your coin! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roman Collector Posted November 5, 2023 · Patron Author Share Posted November 5, 2023 On 11/3/2023 at 11:24 AM, ambr0zie said: Congratulations, @Roman Collector! I like the coin and even if it is worn, I think the portrait is great. Left facing - major bonus. My relevant contribution - a similar reverse from her son. You should remember this coin as you mentioned you don't have it but this was some while ago so not sure if you haven't added it. 17 mm, 3,31 g. Commodus 180-192. AR denarius. Rome. 187-188. M COMM ANT P FEL AVG BRIT, head of Commodus, laureate, right / P M TR P XIII IMP VIII COS V P P, Salus, draped, seated left on low seat, feeding from patera in right hand snake coiled round altar. RIC III Commodus 169; RSC 544. Lovely Salus type of Commodus!! Thanks for your kind words and for sharing your coin! 13 hours ago, happy_collector said: Great thread, and congrats to your addition, @Roman Collector. I agree that left-facing Faustina coins do not come up so often. I picked up this left-facing Faustina Senior earlier this year, even though it is over-cleaned and reverse very blurry. Well, I guess the most important thing is a recognizable Faustina portrait. 🙂 Faustina Senior. AE Sestertius, under Antoninus Pius. 141 AD. Obv: DIVA AVGVSTA FAVSTINA. Veiled and draped bust of Diva Faustina I wearing stephane Rev: PIET-AS AVG, S C across field. Pietas standing facing left. 31mm, 24.94g. That coin is scarce in any grade! Be proud of it! You may read more about your coin in this installment of Faustina Friday. I too have this type in my collection, but it was produced with a different die pair from yours. 13 hours ago, CPK said: I really like the portrait on your coin! Thank you for the kind words! 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy_collector Posted November 5, 2023 · Member Share Posted November 5, 2023 10 minutes ago, Roman Collector said: That coin is scarce in any grade! Be proud of it! You may read more about your coin in this installment of Faustina Friday. I too have this type in my collection, but it was produced with a different die pair from yours. Thanks for your additional information, @Roman Collector. Great to learn more about the coin. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roman Collector Posted December 10, 2023 · Patron Author Share Posted December 10, 2023 UPDATE: Jean LaCourt notes another example at CGB.fr archives (629219). It is an obverse die-match to the Heritage specimen (below). 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
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.