Faustina Friday – The PVDICITIA Bronze Varieties Were Issued in Rapid Succession

[Roman Collector]

Friday felicitations, fellow Faustina fanatics! I hope you have a pleasant, coin-filled weekend ahead. Today we're going to discuss two reverse types, each bearing the inscription PVDICITIA, one featuring the Pudicitia standing and the other with her enthroned facing left, with or without two children on her lap. Although I have recently discussed the Pudicitia standing type, I have not discussed the Pudicitia enthroned type in detail nor have I discussed the interrelationship between the two issues. In today's installment of Faustina Friday, I intend to do so.

The Pudicitia Enthroned Reverse Type

In contrast to the Pudicitia standing type, which was issued in the denarius denomination in addition to bronze, the Pudicitia enthroned type was only issued in the bronze denominations. The usual type features a bare-headed bust of Faustina the Younger wearing the Beckmann Type 1 hairstyle. The reverse depicts Pudicitia enthroned left, arranging her palla with her right hand and resting her left hand on her lap. There are a few varieties which are relevant to dating the issue. I discuss them below. Here are examples of each denomination from my collection.

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; Strack 1302; RCV 4716.

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman orichalcum dupondius, 13.03 g, 25.1 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; flower below seat.
Refs: RIC 1404b; BMCRE 2159; Cohen 187; Strack 1302; RCV 4732.

Rare Varieties Establish a Relative Chronology for the PVDICITIA Seated and Standing Issues

The Beckmann Type 1 hairstyle serves as a terminus ante quem of March 149 CE, because it was replaced by her Type 2 hairstyle following the birth of Lucilla on 7 March of that year.[1] I believe the Pudicitia seated issue was used in the months leading up to the birth of Lucilla but stopped shortly thereafter because of the existence of a very rare reverse variety depicting Pudicitia holding an infant on her lap while a small child stands before her. This coin is known only from the three museum specimens cited by Strack[2] and a single coin sold at auction (this coin; not in my collection).

Orichalcum sestertius of Faustina the Younger depicting Pudicitia, veiled, seated left, with two children, a larger one standing before her and a smaller one seated on her lap (RIC 1382). Bertolami E-Auction 59, lot 739, 20 May, 2018. This is a double die match to the specimen in the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Cohen 188.[3]

Because the Pudicitia seated variety does not appear with the Type 2 hairstyle nor with the nominative legend FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL, which was introduced in about May 151 CE,[4] I believe its production ended with the birth of Lucilla.

In contrast, while the silver and bronze denominations of the Pudicitia standing issue appear depicting the empress in her Type 1 hairstyle, the denarii of this reverse type were also issued depicting the empress wearing the Type 2 hairstyle.

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman AR denarius, 3.86 g, 19.2 mm, 7 h.
Rome, 149-151 CE.
Obv: FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL, bare-headed and draped bust, right (Beckmann type 2 hairstyle).
Rev: PVDICITIA, Pudicitia veiled, standing left, arranging drapery on right shoulder, and holding up hem of skirt.
Refs: RIC 507a; BMCRE 1051-53; Cohen 185 corr.; RSC 176a; Sear 4706; Strack 493; CRE 206.
Note: Cohen 176 refers to a diademed bust type (likely misdescribed); Cohen 185 with obverse right-facing bust "avec les chevaux ondés" (with wavy hair) and reverse "La Pudeur debout à gauche, se couvrent la tête de son voile, main droite baissée" (Pudicitia stg. l., covering her head with veil, r. hand lowered at side) is probably this coin.

Moreover, a rare denarius of the Pudicitia standing type is known with the nominative obverse inscription, dating it to mid 151 CE.

Denarius of the Pudicitia standing reverse type with the nominative case inscription FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL, introduced about May 151 CE. Strack pl. 7, 508 = Feuardent. It is unclear whether Strack indicates one of the sale catalogues of Rollin & Feuardent, later Feuardent Frères, a stock item from the company, or an image from their photo records.

Therefore, we may conclude that production of the Pudicitia standing type continued for at least a year after the Pudicitia seated type was phased out. However, both types appear with the Type 1 hairstyle and the dative inscription, suggesting a period of overlap between the issues. This is proven by an obverse die match I have discovered between the two types on the rare medium bronze issues depicting the empress wearing the stephane.

Orichalcum dupondius of the Pudicitia seated type; its obverse bust depicts the empress wearing the stephane (RIC 1404c). Auctiones GmbH, eAuction #59, lot 172, 18 March 2018.

Faustina II, 147-175 CE.
Roman Æ as or dupondius, 10.74 g, 26.2 mm, 4 h.
Rome, 148-149 CE.
Obv: FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL, draped bust, right, wearing stephane (Beckmann Type 1 hairstyle).
Rev: PVDICITIA S C, Pudicitia standing facing, head left, lifting veil from shoulders with both hands.
Refs: RIC 1403a corr.; BMCRE 2157n.; Cohen 179; Strack 1301; RCV –.

Constructing a Chronology for the PVDICITIA Issues

On the basis of the numismatic evidence, I have constructed a chronology for the PVDICITIA issues of 148-151 CE.

148 CE introduction of the PVDICITIA seated type --> Late 148 CE, introduction of the PVDICITIA standing type --> Birth of Lucilla 7 March 149 CE --> Brief appearance of the PVDICITIA seated issue depicting Pudicitia and two children --> March 149 CE, discontinuation of all bronze issues of both PVDICITIA types --> Denarii of the PVDICITIA standing type continues with the dative FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL inscription --> Mid-May 151 CE, brief use of the nominative FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL inscription after which the reverse type is discontinued.[5]

Do you have any of these early PVDICITIA issues of Faustina Junior? Please post comments, coins, 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, pp. 35-40. I am aware that there is some scholarly disagreement as to Lucilla's birth year. This is largely due to the work of Anthony Birley, who postulates the birth of twin boys in 149 CE. This is soundly rejected by Walter Ameling and by the numismatic evidence itself, which I have reviewed in detail elsewhere and at this forum. See Levick, Barbara. Faustina I and II: Imperial Women of the Golden Age. Oxford University Press, 2014, pp. 115-118 for a review of the academic literature on the dating of the births of Faustina's children.

2. Strack 1303, citing specimens in Berlin, Paris, and Vienna. See Strack, Paul L., Untersuchungen zur Römischen Reichsprägung des Zweiten Jahrhunderts, vol. 3, Die Reichsprägung zur Zeit des Antoninus Pius. Stuttgart 1937.

3. Gauthier-Dussart, Roxane, et al. "Entre Rome et Alexandrie: Le Monnayage d'antonin Le Pieux (138-161), Idéologie Du Règne et Adaptations Locales." l'Université de Montréal, 2017, p. 516 and pl. 106, no. 1784.

4. Beckmann, op. cit., p. 42 and Curtis L. Clay, personal communication, 13 September 2021. I have previously discussed the dating of the various obverse legends used for Faustina the Younger under Antoninus Pius here.

5. Separate issues of denarii with the PVDICITIA reverse inscription and a different reverse type altogether (Pudicitia sacrificing over altar) were produced from late 155 CE through late summer 156 CE. I have previously discussed these issues here.

[Marsyas Mike]

Terrific post as always, @Roman Collector  Keep up the good work. 

Here are two Pudicitia AEs that are in my collection:

Faustina II  Æ As (Early 148-March 149 A.D.) Rome Mint [FAVSTIN]AE AVG PII AVG FIL, draped bust right w. stephane / [PVDICITIA], S C, Pudicitia seated left, drawing out veil with right hand, left hand at side. RIC III Antoninus Pius 1404c (as); Cohen 187; BMC 2159. (7.54 grams / 23 x 21 mm) eBay May 2022 Note:  "That type with the stephane is quite scarce indeed! The British  Museum does not have one...Strack cites examples in Paris (BnF), Bologna (Museo Communale), and Naples (Nationalmuseum). None at OCRE. One sold by CNG, another at NAC.  The stephaned bust is known only in the middle bronze...not in the sestertius." (Roman Collector CT May 2022)  Notes: "This legend was used from 147 CE to the end of summer 151 CE." (RC NF 2023) "It was one of the first coins issued by Antoninus Pius for his daughter. The obverse legend, FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL is the earliest and is dated by Strack to 147-149 and by Sear to AD 148-152." (RC CT 2020)

Faustina II Æ Sestertius (c. 147- late summer 151 A.D.) Rome Mint FAVSTINAE AVG PII [AVG FIL], draped bust right / [PVDICITIA], S-C, Pudicitia seated left, drawing out veil with right hand, left hand in lap. RIC III Antoninus Pius 1381; BMCRE 2143. (26.33 grams / 29 x 27 mm) eBay June 2020 Notes: "This legend was used from 147 CE to the end of summer 151 CE." (RC NF 2023) "It was one of the first coins issued by Antoninus Pius for his daughter. The obverse legend, FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL is the earliest and is dated by Strack to 147-149 and by Sear to AD 148-152." RC CT 2020)

 

 

Edited March 1 by Marsyas Mike

[Roman Collector]

On 3/1/2024 at 7:56 AM, Marsyas Mike said:

Terrific post as always, @Roman Collector  Keep up the good work. 

Here are two Pudicitia AEs that are in my collection:

Faustina II  Æ As (Early 148-March 149 A.D.) Rome Mint [FAVSTIN]AE AVG PII AVG FIL, draped bust right w. stephane / [PVDICITIA], S C, Pudicitia seated left, drawing out veil with right hand, left hand at side. RIC III Antoninus Pius 1404c (as); Cohen 187; BMC 2159. (7.54 grams / 23 x 21 mm) eBay May 2022 Note:  "That type with the stephane is quite scarce indeed! The British  Museum does not have one...Strack cites examples in Paris (BnF), Bologna (Museo Communale), and Naples (Nationalmuseum). None at OCRE. One sold by CNG, another at NAC.  The stephaned bust is known only in the middle bronze...not in the sestertius." (Roman Collector CT May 2022)  Notes: "This legend was used from 147 CE to the end of summer 151 CE." (RC NF 2023) "It was one of the first coins issued by Antoninus Pius for his daughter. The obverse legend, FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL is the earliest and is dated by Strack to 147-149 and by Sear to AD 148-152." (RC CT 2020)

Faustina II Æ Sestertius (c. 147- late summer 151 A.D.) Rome Mint FAVSTINAE AVG PII [AVG FIL], draped bust right / [PVDICITIA], S-C, Pudicitia seated left, drawing out veil with right hand, left hand in lap. RIC III Antoninus Pius 1381; BMCRE 2143. (26.33 grams / 29 x 27 mm) eBay June 2020 Notes: "This legend was used from 147 CE to the end of summer 151 CE." (RC NF 2023) "It was one of the first coins issued by Antoninus Pius for his daughter. The obverse legend, FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL is the earliest and is dated by Strack to 147-149 and by Sear to AD 148-152." RC CT 2020)

 

 

Thank you for the kind words, @Marsyas Mike! I never tire of seeing your medium bronze with the stephaned bust type. Yours is an obverse die match to the Paris specimen cited by Cohen.