Sear, D.R., Roman Coins and their Values 5 vols (London, Spink, 2000-2014) 5251; Mattingly, H.,Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, 6 vols (London, 1965) M89; Seaby, H.A., Roman Silver Coins (London, B.A. Seaby, 1967) 95; Mattingly, H., E.A. Sydenham, C.H. Sutherland, R.A. Carson, The Roman Imperial Coinage 13 vols (London,  Spink, 1923-1994) III 676, St. A520e.

1986.12

Denarius of Faustina II, reign of Marcus Aurelius

3.31 g. AD 161-75

Obv.: Bust of Faustina the Younger, r., hair drawn back into chignon. FAVSTINA AVGVSTA.

Rev.: Fecunditas standing l., holding an infant in each arm and between two girls with arms outstretched to Faustina. FECVND(itas) AVGVSTAE.

Faustina received the title Augusta in AD 147, under Antoninus Pius, on the birth of her first child. She was the first to hold the title before becoming consort. On the coins of Antoninus (her father) she was usually described as her father’s daughter, PII AVG(usti) FIL(ia). Here she is simply Augusta, under her husband Marcus Aurelius. She died late in AD 175. After her deification she was DIVA FAVSTINA (cf. 1997.02).

The legend and type are both appropriate for Faustina because of her own fecundity in bearing at least ten children (cf. 1966.48) and because of her patronage of the foundation for ‘Faustina’s girls’, puellae Faustinianae, designed to encourage child-raising in the Roman citizen population.

Sear, D.R., Roman Coins and their Values 5 vols (London, Spink, 2000-2014) 5251; Mattingly, H.,Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, 6 vols (London, 1965) M89; Seaby, H.A., Roman Silver Coins (London, B.A. Seaby, 1967) 95; Mattingly, H., E.A. Sydenham, C.H. Sutherland, R.A. Carson, The Roman Imperial Coinage 13 vols (London,  Spink, 1923-1994) III 676, St. A520e.