Diva Faustina I Sestertius RIC III Antoninus Pius 1118

Monetary and Historical Context

The sestertius occupied a central position within the high-principate monetary hierarchy established under Augustus and maintained throughout the Antonine era. Valued at one quarter of a silver denarius or four copper asses, the sestertius represented the largest base-metal coin in ordinary transactions. Its substantial physical module and golden-toned orichalcum alloy made it both a versatile medium for significant retail transactions and a premier canvas for state communication. In late AD 140, Annia Galeria Faustina died after an unblemished marriage to Antoninus Pius. The emperor and the Roman Senate responded with exceptional honors, formally deifying her as Diva Faustina and instituting an unprecedented program of posthumous coin issues. RIC III Antoninus Pius 1118 was initiated in AD 141 as an early element of this consecration campaign. Struck in enormous quantities, these large brass pieces ensured that Faustina's deification was broadcast to every tier of Roman society, tying civic gratitude for the grain supply to the memory of the imperial house.

Production Standards and Minting

RIC III Antoninus Pius 1118 was struck exclusively at the imperial mint located in Rome. The production of the sestertius involved orichalcum, a copper-zinc brass alloy valued for its bright, aurichalceous luster when newly struck. Sestertius flans of the Antonine period were cast in open or two-piece molds before being struck with heavy iron dies. The weight standard for the sestertius during this phase centered around twenty-five to twenty-eight grams, with a module typically spanning thirty to thirty-four millimeters in diameter. Die axes were predominantly adjusted to a regular inverted alignment, commonly six o'clock, reflecting the disciplined workshop practices of the Rome mint. Die-link studies conducted by modern numismatists indicate that the posthumous Faustina series utilized numerous concurrent die pairs, demonstrating the vast scale of metal processed to fulfill the monetary and commemorative mandates of the senate and emperor.

Obverse Iconography

The obverse design presents a right-facing portrait bust of the deified Faustina the Elder, gracefully draped at the truncation and shoulders. Her portraiture is characterized by its monumental composure and aristocratic refinement, devoid of the mortal frailties of age. Her hair is styled in her iconic coiffure, which set a prominent fashion throughout the Roman world: the hair is meticulously waved along the brow and sides, swept backward, and gathered into a high, coiled chignon pinned at the crown of the head. In many dies, strands of pearls or delicate cloth bands are interwoven through the plaits. This careful arrangement emphasized matronly propriety, traditional Roman modesty, and divine elevation, visually crystallizing the transition of the mortal empress into an immortal protectress of the Roman state.

Reverse Iconography and Ceres Imagery

The reverse of RIC III Antoninus Pius 1118 depicts the goddess Ceres standing facing left, clad in a traditional stola and peplos. In her extended right hand she grasps ripe ears of corn, while her lowered or slightly raised left hand holds a short torch. Ceres held profound symbolic resonance for the Antonine regime. As the divinity presiding over agriculture, the fertility of the earth, and the grain supply of Rome, she embodied maternal care and sustained nourishment. In the context of the Diva Faustina issues, the attributes of Ceres seamlessly merged the persona of the deified empress with the goddess. The short torch alludes to the myth of Ceres searching for her daughter Proserpina in the underworld, symbolizing mourning, illumination, and eventual cosmic renewal. The ears of grain underscored the tangible material benefits of Antoninus Pius's administration, reassuring the populace that the celestial intercession of Diva Faustina would preserve Rome's abundance.

Epigraphy and Legends

The epigraphy of RIC III Antoninus Pius 1118 is restrained and direct, abandoning the elaborate lists of consular iterations and tribunician powers common to standard imperial titulature. The obverse legend reads DIVA FAVSTINA, running clockwise along the border. The placement of the adjective Diva before her name directly proclaims her deification, marking her as an inhabitant of the divine realm. On the reverse, the legend AVGVSTA is positioned around the upper periphery, while the abbreviation S C is split across the lower fields on either side of the standing figure of Ceres. AVGVSTA evokes both the divine majesty of the goddess and Faustina's enduring rank as empress. The formula S C, representing Senatus Consulto (by decree of the Senate), constitutes the constitutional hallmark of imperial bronze coinage, verifying that the Senate had officially sanctioned the issue and ratified the divine honors accorded to the late empress.

Typology and Chronological Classification

Within the typology compiled in The Roman Imperial Coinage, RIC III 1118 is categorized among the consecration bronzes featuring reverse inscriptions associated with Augusta. Struck from AD 141 onward, this type must be distinguished from closely related sestertii of the same period. While RIC 1118 features Ceres standing left holding corn-ears and a short torch, companion variants depict Ceres holding a long vertical torch (RIC 1116), a transverse torch, or a sceptre, while others depict the goddess seated upon a cista or throne. Furthermore, later issues within the Diva Faustina series feature alternative obverse legends such as DIVA AVGVSTA FAVSTINA or incorporate veilings over her bust. RIC 1118 represents an early, non-veiled type characterized by the simple DIVA FAVSTINA formula, struck during the initial surge of commemorative minting following the senatorial deification decree.

Circulation, Hoards, and Wear Patterns

The sestertii of Diva Faustina experienced intensive, prolonged circulation throughout the Roman Empire. Archaeological evidence from hoard deposits across Britain, Gaul, the Rhine frontier, and the Danubian provinces demonstrates that RIC 1118 and its sister types circulated alongside both earlier Trajanic and Hadrianic bronzes and later Marcus Aurelius issues. Because of their sound weight and solid copper-zinc composition, these sestertii remained active in commercial networks for decades, often exhibiting substantial wear, edge knocks, and smooth surfaces in finds dating to the late second and early third centuries AD. During the monetary adjustments of the third century, many Antonine sestertii continued to circulate at worn weights until the inflationary disruptions of the joint reign of Valerian and Gallienus eventually drove large orichalcum pieces from regular circulation into hoards.

References

1. Diva Faustina: Coinage and Cult in Rome. pp. 67-75
2. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Vol. IV: Antoninus Pius to Commodus. pp. 235-236, nos. 1509-1511
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC III Antoninus Pius 1118. RIC III Antoninus Pius 1118
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. III: Antoninus Pius to Commodus. p. 161, no. 1118