Faustina the Younger Bronze As, RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1676

Monetary Context and Denominational Function

During the mid-second century AD, the Roman imperial monetary system maintained the bimetallic and base-metal structural framework established under the early Principate. Within this hierarchical currency system, the bronze or copper as functioned as the fundamental base unit of daily account and small-scale commerce. Valued at one-fourth of a brass sestertius, one-half of a dupondius, and one-sixteenth of a silver denarius, the as provided the necessary purchasing power for everyday retail expenditures such as staple foodstuffs, public baths, and modest urban labor wages. Under Marcus Aurelius, the imperial treasury systematically deployed aes coinage not merely to balance civic liquidity but to circulate coordinated ideological declarations across the empire. The striking of bronze denominations under the authority of the emperor in the name of his wife, Faustina the Younger, highlights the institutional continuity of dynastic visibility established under Antoninus Pius. Aes denominations such as RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1676 bore the prominent letters S C, indicating Senatus Consulto, which acknowledged the traditional senatorial authority over base-metal minting at Rome even as imperial policy directed the thematic content. Base-metal issues for Faustina were produced in vast volumes, ensuring that representations of the empress and her fertility permeated all levels of provincial and Italian society, well beyond the aristocratic strata that predominantly handled gold aurei.

Production Standards and Minting Practices

The entire regular emission of RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1676 originated from the central imperial mint at Rome, which operated under strict administrative oversight directed by the procurator monetae. Bronze asses of this era were cast as thick circular flans and subsequently struck between hand-cut iron or bronze dies. The metallurgical composition of the denomination was predominantly pure or unalloyed copper, distinguishing the reddish metal of the as from the bright golden or yellowish brass, known as orichalcum, utilized for sestertii and dupondii. Asses of Marcus Aurelius followed a theoretical weight standard centering around 10.5 to 11.5 grams, with typical diameters ranging between 24 and 27 millimeters, though production variations and unadjusted individual flan casting routinely yielded specimens between 9.0 and 13.0 grams. The alignment of dies at the Rome mint during the Antonine epoch was predominantly fixed to a regular axis, frequently oriented to the twelve o'clock or six o'clock positions. Engravers employed compasses to define circular bead borders and carved master portrait dies with exceptional fidelity, capturing subtle shifts in imperial court hairstyles. Because base-metal denominations were struck in massive quantities to sustain market trade, die wear was substantial, requiring workshop die-cutters to produce multiple obverse and reverse dies that exhibit minor stylistic nuances in legend spacing and figure postures.

Obverse Iconography and Imperial Portraiture

The obverse of RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1676 presents a right-facing bust of Faustina the Younger, draped in the imperial stola and adorned with a diadem. Modern numismatic scholarship, particularly the die-link and portrait analysis conducted by Martin Beckmann, has demonstrated that the coinage of Faustina II can be chronologically organized by distinct changes in her official court hairstyles. The specific bust depicted on this type illustrates her mature coiffure developed around AD 161, characterized by hair arranged in crisp, nearly vertical crimped waves that frame the face, descend along the cheek, and gather into a voluminous, low chignon pinned at the nape of the neck. The addition of the diadem underscores her exalted status as Augusta and mother of imperial heirs. The portrait balances idealized regal serenity with identifiable personal physiognomy, depicting the rounded chin, prominent eyes, and soft facial contours that distinguish Faustina the Younger from her mother, Faustina the Elder. Engravers carefully rendered the drapery over her shoulders, creating deep textural contrast against the smooth, polished fields of the coin blank. The portrait faces right consistently across this type, establishing a standardized visual template for the Rome mint's base-metal workshops.

Reverse Design and Allegorical Program

The reverse design constitutes one of the most intricate multi-figure compositions found on Antonine base-metal coinage. The scene features the personified figure of Faustina or Fecunditas standing facing left, draped in classical garments. In her arms she cradles two infants, while four additional young children stand at her feet, two positioned on either side of her skirts. The total depiction of six children directly translates the domestic reality of the imperial family into an allegorical celebration of dynasty. On August 31, AD 161, Faustina gave birth to twin sons, Commodus and Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus. Added to their four surviving older sisters, Annia Aurelia Galeria Faustina, Lucilla, Fadilla, and Cornificia, the birth of the male twins brought the living offspring of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina to six. The coin's composition purposefully emphasizes both male continuation of the Antonine line and the abundance of potential dynastic marital alliances through the daughters. The standing central figure acts as a protective matriarch, visually echoing ancient Hellenistic and Roman sculptural prototypes of maternal prosperity. Flanking the lower fields of the composition are the large letters S and C, grounding the private dynastic celebration within the constitutional framework of the Roman state.

Epigraphic Structure and Legend Analysis

The epigraphy of RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1676 is concise yet loaded with political resonance. The obverse legend reads FAVSTINA AVGVSTA without further imperial titles or filiation formulas. By omitting paternal or conjugal designations such as Antonini Augusti Filia, the mint acknowledged that Faustina's title of Augusta, held since AD 147, had become an absolute and autonomous royal dignitas under the joint rule of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus. The reverse legend bears the phrase TEMPOR FELIC, an abbreviation for Temporum Felicitas, translating to 'the happiness of the times'. This formula connected the physical procreation of the imperial house directly to the golden age of stability, prosperity, and divine favor promised to the Roman world. Below the reverse design, and across the fields, the formula S C (Senatus Consulto) confirms that the issue was minted by formal decree of the Senate. Epigraphic execution exhibits the disciplined capital lettering characteristic of Antonine Rome, with distinct serifs and balanced spacing designed to encircle the central visual motifs without crowding the figural narrative.

Typology, Chronological Dating, and Variants

In the standard reference work Roman Imperial Coinage, editors Harold Mattingly and Edward Sydenham catalogued this type as RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1676, assigning it a broad issue period spanning from the accession of Marcus Aurelius in AD 161 to the death of Faustina in late AD 175 or early 176. However, subsequent specialized research has refined this timeframe. Wolfgang Szaivert and Martin Beckmann demonstrated that reverse types depicting specific clusters of children reflect precise historical birth cohorts. Because Commodus and his twin brother Antoninus were born in late AD 161, and because Antoninus died in AD 165 at roughly four years of age, the representation of six living children was historically accurate only between late AD 161 and approximately AD 165. Furthermore, die studies demonstrate that the vertical-waved hairstyle with diadem made its debut precisely upon the accession of Marcus Aurelius in AD 161. Consequently, while the catalogued envelope remains AD 161 to 176, production of RIC 1676 was concentrated in AD 161 and 162. Typological variants within the type are limited primarily to minute details in the positioning of the children, the stance of the Augusta, and slight breaks in the reverse lettering TEMPOR-FELIC.

Circulation Patterns and Archaeological Distribution

As an essential base-metal denomination, the bronze as circulated heavily across the western provinces of the Roman Empire, including Italia, Gallia, the Rhine frontier, and Britannia. Finds from excavated military vici, legionary fortresses, and urban market centers confirm that aes coinage of Faustina the Younger remained in commercial use for decades after its initial striking. Due to the high utility and continuous circulation of copper coinage, surviving specimens of RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1676 frequently exhibit moderate to extensive wear, with the delicate features of the infants and minor children on the reverse often smoothed away through friction. Hoard evidence indicates that bronze asses were rarely hoarded in large savings deposits compared to silver denarii or orichalcum sestertii; instead, they appear predominantly in site finds, casual losses, and river deposits. Over prolonged circulation through the late second and early third centuries, these copper coins developed stable green or dark brown patinas depending on the soil chemistry of their deposition contexts. The widespread geographic recovery of this type confirms the success of the Rome mint in utilizing daily currency to broadcast dynastic stability to soldiers, merchants, and provincial citizens.

References

1. The Coinage of Faustina the Younger. pp. 53-68
2. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1676. ric.3.m_aur.1676
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. III: Antoninus Pius to Commodus. p. 347, no. 1676
4. Die Münzprägung des Kaisers Marcus Aurelius in Wien (MIR 18). Series 18