Ancient Rome - Silver Denarius - Faustina I "Diva Coin" Circa 146-162 AD
$1,780
Denomination: AR Silver Denarius
Date: Circa 146-161 A.D.
Mint: Rome
Mount: 14K Gold
Description: Diva Faustina Senior. Struck under Antonius Pius. Obverse: Draped bust right. Reverse: Pietas standing facing, head left, raising hand and holding incense box; altar to left.
History: Annia Galeria Faustina or Faustina the Elder, (about 100 - about 141CE) was a Roman Empress, wife of Roman Emperor Antonius Pius and a paternal aunt to Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. She married Antonius Pius before he came to the throne in CE 138, and unfortunately died less than three years later in 141 CE. She was the daughter of the consul Marcus Annius Verus and Rupilia Faustina. Her mother was a half-sister to Roman Empress Vibia Sabina and a daughter to Salonina Matidia (niece of the Roman Emperor Trajan). She married Antonius between 110-115CE. They had two sons and two daughters. The names of their children that didn't survive to adulthood were Marcus Aurelius Fulvus Antonius, Marcus Galerius Aurelius Antonius and Aurelia Fadilla. The only child that survived to adulthood was their daughter Faustina the Younger. She became Augusta upon the accession of her husband. Although the (late and unreliable) Augustan History impugned her character, criticizing her for "excessive frankness" and "levity", she and Antonius seem to have been happily married until her death in 141 CE. Antonius Pius must have held her in very high regard as he never re-married, and continued to strike coins in her honor, with her name and image, until the end of his reign. Coins issued for her prior to her death are quite scarce but can be easily identified as they lack "DIVA" at the beginning of the obverse legends. He also consecrated her and created a new alimenta (charity), the Puellae Faustinianae, in her name.