Faustina II Bronze As, RIC III Antoninus Pius 1408 (as)

Monetary and Dynastic Context

During the reign of Antoninus Pius (AD 138-161), the Roman monetary system functioned with notable institutional stability and fiscal discipline. The bronze and brass denominations, minted under the nominal authority of the Senate as marked by the letters S C (Senatus Consulto), maintained traditional metallic standards established in the early Principate. Within this tri-metallic framework, the as formed the primary base unit of account for small-scale retail trade, daily wages, and low-value transactions throughout Italy and the western provinces. Struck in pure or nearly pure copper, the as was evaluated at half the value of the brass orichalcum dupondius and one-fourth of the sestertius, with sixteen asses equivalent to one silver denarius. Beyond fiscal utility, the coinage of Antoninus Pius served as a potent medium for dynastic messaging. Following the marriage of his daughter Faustina the Younger to his adopted heir, Marcus Aurelius, in AD 145, Antoninus initiated significant coin production celebrating the imperial bride. Faustina received the title of Augusta around late AD 147 following the birth of her first child. Coin types produced under her name reinforced dynastic stability by celebrating marital concord, fecundity, and divine patron deities. RIC III Antoninus Pius 1408 (as) fits squarely within this ideological framework, utilizing the imagery of Venus to honor the youthful princess and legitimize the designated Antonine succession.

Production Technology and Minting

All regular imperial aes coinage bearing the names of Antoninus Pius and his family members in this period was produced exclusively by the imperial mint at Rome. Mint workers utilized hot-striking techniques, positioning prepared copper-alloy planchets between an anvil die and a hand-held punch die. Dies were manually engraved by skilled celators, leading to subtle variations in letter spacing, hair rendering, and the posture of the reverse figure across individual die pairings. As an as denomination, the type was targeted toward a standard theoretical weight around 10 to 11 grams, with typical diameters ranging between 24 and 27 millimeters, although operational tolerances at the mint allowed for noticeable variance among individual planchets. Because both the as and the dupondius shared similar diameters, mint authorities traditionally relied on metallic differentiation to separate the two denominations: the as was struck on reddish copper planchets, whereas the dupondius was struck on golden-yellow orichalcum (brass). On worn or heavily patinated archaeological specimens, distinguishing an as from a dupondius often relies on elemental surface composition or weight, as female portraits of this period did not adopt the radiate crown used to distinguish male dupondii from asses.

Obverse Portraiture and Style

The obverse of RIC III 1408 (as) features a right-facing, draped bust of Faustina the Younger. The celators captured the distinctive and intricate coiffure associated with her early portraiture under Antoninus Pius. Her hair is arranged in carefully waved horizontal bands across the crown of the head, framed with delicate ringlets falling toward the cheek and temple, and drawn back tightly into a prominent coiled chignon pinned at the nape of the neck. The drapery is rendered with classical finesse, gathering softly at the shoulder and neckline. This specific hairstyle reflects the court fashions of the mid-second century AD, representing a transition from the elaborate hair arrangements of her mother, Faustina the Elder, toward the dynamic styles that evolved during Faustina the Younger's later life as empress consort to Marcus Aurelius. The engraving style is characterized by high relief, rounded facial modeling, and an idealized youthful expression consistent with Roman court art celebrating the burgeoning imperial line.

Reverse Iconography of Venus

The reverse iconography presents the goddess Venus standing turned toward the left. In her outstretched right hand, Venus holds an apple, the mythical prize awarded to her by Paris in recognition of supreme beauty, while her left hand supports a long vertical sceptre, denoting divine authority and majesty. She is depicted draped in classical garments that cascade to her feet. Flanking the lower fields of the design are the prominent letters S and C, denoting Senatus Consulto. The invocation of Venus in this issue carries layered symbolic significance. As Venus Genetrix, she was venerated as the mythical ancestress of the Roman people through Aeneas, directly linking the imperial household to divine origin. Simultaneously, as Venus Felix, she embodied conjugal love, feminine virtue, and the promise of royal offspring. For Faustina the Younger, who was expected to provide heirs to secure the peaceful transfer of imperial rule, the presentation of Venus served as both a spiritual invocation for prolific childbearing and a flattering compliment to her status within the Roman capital.

Epigraphy and Legends

The inscriptions on RIC III 1408 (as) are executed in clear, classical Latin capitals typical of the Antonine mint at Rome. The obverse legend reads FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII F, which transcribes the nominative and genitive formula: 'Faustina Augusta, Antonini Augusti Pii Filia' (Faustina Augusta, daughter of Antoninus Augustus Pius). This legend is particularly notable for its explicit filiation, recording her legal and familial bond to the reigning emperor Antoninus Pius, while confirming her rank of Augusta. The reverse inscription is exceptionally succinct, reading simply VENVS. Positioned around the upper periphery, this nominative legend identifies the deity depicted. In the fields flanking the goddess, the standard senatorial endorsement S C (Senatus Consulto, 'by decree of the Senate') reinforces the traditional legal authority overseeing base-metal token coinage within the Roman monetary system.

Typology and Chronological Placement

In the standard classification of The Roman Imperial Coinage (RIC), this type is catalogued as RIC III Antoninus Pius 1408 for the middle-bronze as denomination, catalogued alongside the corresponding orichalcum dupondius sharing identical types. The chronological window for the issue extends from approximately AD 145, the year of Faustina's wedding to Marcus Aurelius, to the death of Antoninus Pius in AD 161. However, numismatic scholarship, including Harold Mattingly's analysis in the British Museum catalogue, narrows the primary striking period for the FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII F series to the years following her elevation to Augusta in late AD 147 through the early-to-mid 150s AD. As Faustina bore multiple children during this decade, the imperial mint steadily updated her portrait styles and legends, gradually shifting toward reverse types explicitly honoring Fecunditas and maternity. RIC III 1408 stands near the beginning of this evolution, capturing the initial phase of her formal public profile as both royal daughter and imperial mother.

Circulation and Archaeological Evidence

As a standard copper-alloy as, specimens of RIC III 1408 entered intensive, wide-ranging domestic circulation. Unlike precious metal aurei and denarii, which could be hoarded for long-term bullion storage or sent abroad to settle international trade deficits, middle-bronze coinage circulated predominantly within local and regional market economies. Archaeological findspots from western military frontiers along the Rhine and Danube, as well as civilian settlements throughout Italy, Gaul, and Hispania, frequently include bronze asses of Faustina the Younger. These coins experienced decades of physical wear, often remaining in active circulation well into the third century AD until the severe debasement of the silver currency system caused systemic collapse in base-metal token denominations. Recovered specimens of this type frequently exhibit heavy surface friction and patina changes resulting from centuries in varied soil chemistry, but they remain an indispensable source of information on the monetary habits and visual culture of the Antonine Empire.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Volume IV: Antoninus Pius to Commodus. pp. 376-378
2. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC III Antoninus Pius 1408 (as). ric.3.ant.1408_as
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume III: Antoninus Pius to Commodus. p. 192, no. 1408