Faustina Friday – The First Issue for Faustina the Elder

[Roman Collector]

Friday felicitations, fellow Faustina fanatics. I hope you have a delightful weekend ahead! Today we'll discuss the earliest coins issued for Faustina the Elder. There is no record outside of the numismatic evidence of when Faustina was declared Augusta, but it must have been within months of Antoninus Pius' accession to the throne on 11 July 138 but before he assumed the title of Pater Patriae by 1 March 139.[1] During this brief period, a small issue of denarii in her husband's name was issued for Faustina inscribed FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG with no mention of P P (Pater Patriae) in the titulature. This first issue of Faustina I appears to be limited to denarii, for no gold or bronze coins lacking P P in their inscriptions are known. There follows a second issue with the obverse FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG P P, followed by a third issue, commencing with the joint consulship of Antoninus and Aurelius Caesar at the turn of the new year, 140 and continuing to the death of Faustina I in October 140, with the obverse FAVSTINA AVGVSTA.[2]

The coins of this first issue consist of three or four reverse types, depending on how significant one considers variations in the design of the Concordia seated type.[3] These types are: CONCORDIA AVG with Concordia seated left, holding a patera, and with a cornucopiae under or as part of her throne, CONCORDIA AVG with Concordia standing left, leaning against a column and holding a patera and double cornucopiae, and VESTA, with Vesta seated left, holding a palladium and scepter.

These types have symbolic meaning. Mattingly explains, "Concordia unites Emperor and Empress in a bond of loyalty and devotion. Her double cornucopiae is the royal glory of the kings and queens of Egypt. The cornucopiae below her seat is a sign of the Golden Age … the column on which she leans is the special emblem of Securitas," while "Vesta, with the palladium, is the Vesta of the special shrine on the Palatine – the object of the worship of the Empress as wife of the Pontifex Maximus."[4]

Even though the coins of this issue were produced with several die pairs and may have been in production for months, they are scarce. No coins of this first issue were found in the Reka Devnia hoard. Strack 391-393 recorded only five denarii of this whole issue among the museum collections he consulted. They don't appear in the numismatic market often. After an exhaustive search of reference catalogs, auction archives and online databases, the coins listed below are all that I have been able to find, though I'm sure there are additional specimens out there, given the number of different dies used to strike them.

I have been fortunate enough to have acquired specimens of two of the three reverse types. I am deeply indebted to Paul Dinsdale, who generously shared his extensive files of previous auction sales and provided me with photos from the plates of numismatic references that are not in my own library.

Reverse Type 1a: CONCORDIA AVG, Concordia seated left, holding patera and resting left arm on cornucopiae which forms arm of chair.

Strack notes one specimen of this type, to which he assigns catalog number 391, with the vague description: Concordia seated to l. (cornucopiae) with patera. He cites the specimen from the Sir Charles Oman collection, Oxford (below)

Strack pl. 6, 391 = Sir Charles Oman collection, Oxford.

I believe this coin to be an ancient imitative issue – note the atypical portrait and its crude rendition of the empress's hairstyle. Coins of this type with a better claim to being an official issue are the specimens in my collection and in the Hunterian Museum (GLAHM 26918), which were struck with the same die pair.

The specimen in my collection:

Faustina I, 138-140 CE.
Roman AR denarius, 3.32 g, 16.3 mm, 7 h.
Rome, first issue, 11 July 138 – 28 February 139 CE.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG, bare-headed and draped bust of Faustina, right.
Rev: CONCORDIA AVG, Concordia seated left, holding patera and resting left arm on cornucopiae which forms arm of chair.
Refs: RIC –; BMCRE p.8*; RSC 146b; Strack 391; Hunter 1, pl. 67 (GLAHM 26918); CRE –.
Notes: Double die match to Glasgow specimen (Hunter 1). Ex Curtis L. Clay; Ex Jonathan Kern December 1995.

Hunter pl. 67, 1 (GLAHM 26918).

Note the lack of the throne-like back on the chair, and that the elbow rests directly on the cornucopiae; the area below the chair is vacant.

Reverse Type 1b: CONCORDIA AVG, Concordia seated left, holding patera and resting left arm on a statue of Spes, cornucopiae below.

The specimen in my collection and the specimen in the British museum each depict Concordia resting her left elbow on a statuette of Spes. Moreover, the throne has a back rest and the cornucopiae is placed below the seat.

The specimen in my collection:

Faustina I, 138-140 CE.
Roman AR denarius, 2.85 g, 16.6 mm, 5 h.
Rome, first issue, 11 July 138 – 28 February 139 CE.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG, bare-headed and draped bust of Faustina, right.
Rev: CONCORDIA AVG, Concordia seated left, holding patera and resting left arm on throne, cornucopiae under chair.
Refs: British Museum 1978, 0314.2; cf. Strack 391 (Ashmolean), Hunter 1 (GLAHM 26918). RIC –; Cohen –; RCV –; CRE –.
Notes: BMC p. 8* cites Strack 392 in error; RSC 146b correctly cites Strack 391 and cites BMC p.8*.

British Museum (1978,0314.2). Note this is an obverse die-match to the specimen in my collection.

I do not believe that these two variants of the Concordia seated type represent separate issues; rather, I believe they are merely the result of the idiosyncrasies of the different die-engravers at the Rome mint. I have previously discussed this reverse type in greater detail.

Reverse Type 2: CONCORDIA AVG, Concordia standing left, leaning against a column, and holding a patera and double cornucopiae.

I recently acquired an example of this reverse type from @curtislclay, who astonishingly had two specimens in his collection.

Faustina I, 138-140 CE.
Roman AR denarius, 3.24 g, 19.1 mm, 5 h.
Rome, first issue, 11 July 138 – 28 February 139 CE.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG, bare-headed and draped bust of Faustina, right.
Rev: CONCORDIA AVG, Concordia standing left, holding patera and double cornucopiae and resting left arm on column.
Refs: RIC –; BMCRE 36; Cohen –; RSC 153a; Strack 392; RCV –; CRE 91.

Strack notes two specimens of this type, to which he assigns catalog number 392: Paris 5484, and a second from the Osiek (Aelia Mursa) hoard, which eventually was obtained for the British Museum Collection (1938,0310.1). These are illustrated below.

]

Bibliothèque Nationale De France, Strack 392. Photo by Roxane Gauthier-Dussart.[5]

British Museum collection, BMCRE 36.

There are, in addition, the following specimens:

Classical Numismatic Group, Inc., Electronic Auction 202, lot 287, 14 January 2009.

Numismatik Lanz München, Auction 159, lot 472, 8 December 2014.

London Ancient Coins Ltd (Auction 46), lot 235, 12 October 2015. This specimen is owned by Curtis L. Clay and happens to be for sale in the current Berk Buy or Bid sale if you are interested in owning it.

Each of the five known specimens was struck with a different die pair, indicating a rather extensive period of coin production. I find this interesting, considering how few specimens remain.

Reverse Type 3: VESTA, Vesta seated left holding Palladium and scepter.

Strack notes two specimens of this type, to which he assigns catalog number 393: The British museum specimen and Vienna (11165), which is cited by Cohen (285).

The British Museum specimen of the VESTA reverse type, BMCRE 37.

Unfortunately, I do not have an illustration of the specimen in the Staatliches Münzkabinett in Vienna.

In addition, I am aware of two other specimens outside of museum collections.

Gemini Auction II, lot 441, 11 January 2006.

Collection of @lrbguy.

Do you have any coins of this issue? Are you aware of any that I have missed? As always, post anything you feel is relevant!

~~~

Bibliography

Cohen, Henry. Description historique des monnaies frappées sous l'Empire Romain, Tome III: de Marc Aurèle à Albin (161 à 197 après J.-C.). Paris, 1883.

Dinsdale, Paul H. Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius Caesar AD 138-161: Antonine Coinage, Second Revised edition. Leeds, Paul H Dinsdale, 2021.

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.

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

Mattingly, Harold; Sydenham, Edward A, The Roman imperial coinage, vol. 3: Antoninus Pius to Commodus, London, Spink, 1986.

Robertson, Anne S. Roman Imperial Coins in the Hunter Coin Cabinet: University of Glasgow vol. 2, Trajan to Commodus. London, Oxford University Press, 1971.

Seaby, H. A. Roman Silver Coins, vol II: Tiberius - Commodus. London, B. A. Seaby, LTD, 1968.

Sear, David R., Roman Coins and their Values, vol. 2, The Accession of Nerva to the Overthrow of the Severan Dynasty, A.D. 96 -A.D. 235. London, 2002.

Strack, Paul L. Untersuchungen Zur Romischen Reichspragung Des Zweiten Jahrhunderts. vol. 3, Die Reichsprägung zur Zeit des Antoninus Pius. Stuttgart, Kohlhammer, 1937.

Notes:

1. Mattingly, p. xxxii, n. 2 cites Dessau, Hermann, Inscriptiones Latinae Selectae 2182 as demonstrating P P appears in a Latin inscription dated to 1 March, 139.

2. Mattingly, pp. xl-xli and xlv.

3. Strack 191, 192, 193; BMCRE 36, 37, p.8*; RSC 146b, 153a, 285; Dinsdale, however, lists four: 008000, 008010, 008020, 008030.

4. Mattingly, p. lii.

5. Gauthier-Dussart, Pl. 85, 1402.

Edited April 26 by Roman Collector
New photo

[JAZ Numismatics]

Very instructive as usual. It is curious that so few of the early issues exist given the number of dies and months of production. How long did it take you to hunt down the two seated varieties? It's interesting to note that the CONCORDIA varieties for Faustina II are quite common by comparison. It's also interesting to note that CONCORDIA is the first issue for Faustina I, and that there is a CONCORDIAE memorial issue, Antoninus handing her a scroll of her accomplishments as she takes her leave to reside with the gods (not my coin)...

Edited April 19 by JAZ Numismatics

[Roman Collector]

8 hours ago, JAZ Numismatics said:

Very instructive as usual. It is curious that so few of the early issues exist given the number of dies and months of production. How long did it take you to hunt down the two seated varieties? It's interesting to note that the CONCORDIA varieties for Faustina II are quite common by comparison. It's also interesting to note that CONCORDIA is the first issue for Faustina I, and that there is a CONCORDIAE memorial issue, Antoninus handing her a scroll of her accomplishments as she takes her leave to reside with the gods (not my coin)...

Thank you for your kind words, @JAZ Numismatics. It took me 7-8 years to track down the two seated CONCORDIA AVG varieties of this first issue. I, too, am surprised that these coins are as scarce as they are giving the number of dies used in their production.