Diva Faustina Silver Denarius, RIC III Antoninus Pius 378a (denarius)

Monetary Context and Consecration Framework

The death of Empress Faustina the Elder in late 140 AD represented a deeply significant personal and political juncture for the reign of Antoninus Pius. Having ascended the imperial throne in 138 AD, Antoninus pursued an ideological platform characterized by traditional Roman pietas, religious rectitude, and constitutional harmony with the Senate. Upon her death, Faustina was formally consecrated as Diva Faustina, a status that transformed her imperial memory into a public cult supported by a dedicated temple in the Roman Forum, imperial priestesses, and charitable foundations such as the Puellae Faustinianae. Within the Roman monetary system, denarii served as the primary silver currency supporting state transactions, commercial enterprise, and military logistics. The consecration issues functioned not merely as commemorative tokens, but as fully integrated standard circulating specie. The striking of RIC III Antoninus Pius 378a (denarius) in 141 AD marked the inauguration of this extensive posthumous coinage, integrating the deified empress into the regular currency stream without disrupting standard monetary velocity.

Mint Operation and Production Technology

RIC III Antoninus Pius 378a was struck exclusively at the imperial mint in Rome, which concentrated silver coin production for the western and central provinces during the mid-second century AD. The production utilized traditional manual striking techniques. Blanks were cast in moulds, measured to conform to the Antonine silver standard, and struck between hand-held upper reverse dies and fixed lower obverse dies. Under Antoninus Pius, the silver denarius was maintained at an average theoretical weight of approximately 3.20 to 3.40 grams, with a fineness fluctuating between 80 and 85 percent silver. The metallurgical consistency achieved by the Rome mint during this period reflects rigorous administrative oversight. Die engravers at Rome displayed a high level of technical mastery, producing refined portraits that balanced idealized divine attributes with recognizable individual physiognomy. Surviving specimens illustrate slight variations in flan thickness, centering, and die alignment, which are normal features of manual striking in the imperial workshops.

Obverse Portraiture and Iconography

The obverse of RIC III Antoninus Pius 378a presents the bust of Diva Faustina facing right, draped in an imperial mantle. Her distinctive hairstyle is rendered with great delicacy and precision, displaying the elaborate coiffure that defined her official portraiture. The hair is parted, carefully waved in several successive horizontal loops around the head, and drawn upward toward the crown where it terminates in a braided, woven topknot. This sophisticated arrangement, often referred to by numismatists as the tiered or coiled crown coiffure, became an influential fashion throughout the Roman Mediterranean. Unlike later consecration types where the empress is shown heavily veiled, this specific variety showcases her uncovered hair with drapery neatly gathered at the truncation of the bust. The physiognomy is rendered with the calm, serene dignity typical of Antonine classicism, divesting the subject of human frailties while preserving her imperial identity.

Reverse Iconography: Ceres and Divine Provision

The reverse design of this type features the goddess Ceres standing toward the left, fully draped and wearing a protective veil. In her lowered right hand, she holds two ears of corn pointing downward, while her left hand grasps an upright, nearly vertical lighted torch. Ceres, the ancient Roman divinity of agriculture, grain, and motherly protection, was deeply entwined with the imperial family's ideological messaging. In early imperial religion, empresses were frequently assimilated to Ceres to celebrate female virtue, motherhood, and the sustained provision of the Roman grain supply (annona). On Diva Faustina's posthumous coinage, the torch symbolizes both nocturnal search and spiritual illumination in the underworld, connecting the empress's transit into the divine sphere with the Eleusinian themes of life, death, and renewal. The corn-ears, pointed toward the ground, emphasize the bestowal of fertile blessings upon the empire. The composition balance is strictly maintained, with Ceres positioned squarely in the field.

Epigraphy and Legend Structure

The epigraphic program of RIC III Antoninus Pius 378a is exceptionally concise, reflecting the self-evident public recognition of the empress and the reverse divinity. The obverse legend reads DIVA FAVSTINA, running along the outer rim clockwise from the lower left. This simple, two-word formula replaced the elaborate titles of her lifetime, proclaiming her divine nature without requiring imperial titles like Augusta or Antonini Augusti. The letters are cleanly executed Roman capitals, displaying uniform serifing and spacing typical of Antonine official dies. The reverse bears the singular nominative legend CERES, placed along the upper and right borders around the standing figure. The absence of additional bureaucratic titles, such as consular or tribunician dating formulae, underscores the timeless, sacral character of the type. The clarity of the inscriptions facilitated swift visual identification among Latin-speaking communities across the empire.

Typology, Sequencing, and Variants

In the cataloguing framework established by Mattingly and Sydenham in The Roman Imperial Coinage, volume III, entry 378 is subdivided into distinct sub-types based on specific iconographical variations in the presentation of Ceres and the bust. Sub-type 378a is specifically defined by the bust of Faustina right, draped with her hair elaborately coiled on the crown, paired with Ceres standing left holding two corn-ears downward and an upright torch. Closely related types in the series include variations where Ceres holds a scepter rather than a torch, or where she raises her right hand rather than holding downward-pointing grain. Chronologically, RIC III 378a belongs to the immediate aftermath of Faustina's consecration in 141 AD. Later consecration issues from the late 140s and 150s AD transitioned toward more elaborate reverse themes, such as AETERNITAS and AVGVSTA, or introduced veiled portraits. Numismatist Paul L. Strack and subsequent authorities confirm that the simple DIVA FAVSTINA / CERES combination with the un-veiled coiled hairstyle represents one of the earliest consecration emission groups.

Circulation and Monetary Hoards

Following its release in 141 AD, the RIC III 378a denarius entered the vast circulation network of the Roman Empire. The high volume of Faustina's consecration coinage ensured that these denarii circulated extensively throughout Italy, the western provinces (including Gaul and Britain), and the Danubian frontier legions. Because the silver purity remained high compared to the debased issues of the late second and third centuries, coins of this type enjoyed exceptional longevity in the commercial channels. Hoard evidence from across the Roman world reveals that Faustina I consecration denarii frequently remained in circulation alongside the issues of Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, and Septimius Severus. In many third-century hoards, including those buried during the Crisis of the Third Century, specimens of RIC 378a survive in worn condition, attesting to continuous monetary velocity spanning more than half a century after initial striking.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Vol. IV: Antoninus Pius to Commodus. pp. 42-45, nos. 286-291
2. RIC III Antoninus Pius 378a (denarius). RIC III Antoninus Pius 378a
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. III: Antoninus Pius to Commodus. pp. 69-71, no. 378a
4. Untersuchungen zur romischen Reichspragung des zweiten Jahrhunderts, Teil III: Die Reichspragung zur Zeit des Antoninus Pius. Stuttgart, 1937, pp. 144-152