CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY
- Emperor:
- Faustina I the Elder, struck under Antoninus Pius
- Denomination:
- AR Denarius
- Composition:
- Silver
- Date:
- 141-161 AD
- Obverse:
- DIVA FAVSTINA, Bust of Faustina I, draped, right, hair elaborately waved and coiled, with bands across the head, drawn up at the back and piled in a round coil on top
- Reverse:
- AVGV-STA, Vesta, veiled, draped, standing left, holding simpulum in right hand and palladium in left.
- Reference:
- BMCRE IV [Pius] 435-437; RIC III 368; Cohen II 108; RSC II 108; SRCV II 4587
- Size:
- 17.78mm, 3.2g, 12h
- Province:
- Rome
- Grade:
- aEF, well struck, lustrous surfaces, some cleaning marks
- Provenance:
- eu Numismatik AG Web Auction 8 (29-30 Jun 2019), Lot 1134
- Information:
- A fine portrait of Faustina I in high grade, with all details in her complex hair arrangement visible.
Faustina I the elder was born circa 100 AD and died in 140 AD. She was the wife of the Roman emperor Antoninus Pius, one of the Five Good Emperors. This denarius was part of a third issue of coinage in her honour after her death and is likely to have been minted some time between the end of the second issue (141 AD) and the end of Antonius Pius's reign as Roman Emperor, most likely toward the end of that reign. A more precise dating is not currently known. The coinage bears the legend DIVA FAVSTINA, not DIVA AVGVSTA, as the title of Augusta had passed onto her daughter, Faustina II the Younger. Vesta is the virgin goddess of the hearth, home, and family.
I, Peter A. Piliouras of Ancient Coin Traders irrevocably guarantee for life to the Purchaser that this ancient coin is authentic. If this coin is deemed not to be authentic by a professional certification service, then I will refund to the Purchaser the full cost of acquiring the coin (including shipping) together with the certification fees.
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Signed: Peter Anthony Piliouras
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Date