Diva Faustina Senior, died 140/1. Aureus (Gold, 19 mm, 7.08 g, 6 h), Rome. DIVA AVG FAVSTINA Diademed, draped and veiled bust of Diva Faustina Senior to right. Rev. PIETAS AVG Pietas standing front, head to left, holding box in her left hand and dropping incense onto altar with her right. BMC 310, note. Calicó 1800. Cohen 235. RIC 394b. A beautiful piece with an incredibly touching portrait of the deceased empress. Light roughness with tiny nicks, otherwise, nearly extremely fine.


Born in circa 105 into an illustrious family - her mother, Rupilia Faustina, was Sabina's half sister and her father, Marcus Annius Verus, praefectus urbi and three times consul - Annia Galeria Faustina brought exceptional wealth into her marriage to Antoninus Pius late in Trajan's reign. Unfortunately, Faustina died in 140 at a relatively young age, only two years after her husband's unexpected succession to the throne. Antoninus was deeply grieved by his loss and had his wife deified and built a temple for her on the Forum Romanum. For the rest of the emperor's long reign, Diva Faustina figured very prominently in the self-representation of the imperial household, symbolizing unity, harmony, and fertility. Her conspicuous association with Ceres is particularly noteworthy, and when the old emperor died in 161, his and her mutual apotheosis was displayed prominently on the base of the Column of Antoninus Pius devoted by Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus.