Silver Denarius of Faustina Jr. RIC 688

Silver Denarius (17.4mm 2.61g) Struck AD 161-175 Rome

Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA Draped bust right

Rev: JVNO Junos standing left holding patera and scepter, peacock at her feet

RIC 688 Sear 5255
ex. Ricky Newhart

The Front Side (Obverse): The Empress

On the front, you see a side-profile portrait of Faustina herself.

• Her Look: She is shown as a dignified Roman noblewoman with her hair pulled back into a neat, wavy bun at the base of her neck.
• The Text: The Latin inscription reads FAVSTINA AVGVSTA. Augusta was the highest title given to an empress, showing everyone in the empire that she was the ultimate leading lady of Rome.

The Back Side (Reverse): The Goddess Juno

Flip the coin over, and it switches from real-world politics to ancient mythology. This side features Juno, the queen of the Roman gods.

• What she's doing: Juno is standing tall, holding a long scepter (a symbol of royal power) in one hand and a patera (a small sacrificial dish used to pour out liquids for the gods) in the other.
• Her Sidekick: If you look closely at her feet, there is a little peacock. In Roman myth, the peacock was Juno's sacred animal.
• The Text: The text simply reads IVNO (Juno).

The Big Picture Meaning

In ancient Rome, coins were like tiny, pocket-sized billboards. By putting the queen of the gods (Juno) on the back of the coin, the royal family was sending a clear message to the public: Just as Juno is the powerful queen of Elysium, Faustina is the powerful queen of Rome. It tied the Empress directly to divine power, family values, and majesty!