Silver Denarius of Faustina Sr. RIC 358

Silver Denarius (18mm 3.14g) Struck AD 141-161 Rome

Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA Draped bust right hair waved and coiled on top of head.

Rev AVGVSTA Ceres standing right holding scepter and ears of grain

RIC-358
ex. Socal Coins Brett Telford

The Front (Obverse): A Devoted Husband’s Tribute

The front of the coin features a portrait of a woman with her hair beautifully braided, waved, and piled high on top of her head in a super-fashionable Roman updo.

• The Text: It reads DIVA FAVSTINA (Divine Faustina).
• The Story: Faustina the Elder was the beloved wife of the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius. She passed away quite early in his reign, around AD 140 or 141. Antoninus was absolutely heartbroken. To honor her, he had the Roman Senate deify her (turn her into a goddess) and launch one of the largest coin-minting campaigns for a woman in Roman history. Every time someone used this coin to buy bread or wine, they were reminded of the Emperor's late, divine wife.

The Back (Reverse): Blessings from the Goddess of Grain

The back of the coin features a goddess standing tall, holding a long scepter in one hand and stalks of wheat/grain in the other.

• The Text: It reads AVGVSTA (Empress or Venerable One).
• The Meaning: The figure is Ceres, the ancient Roman goddess of agriculture, grain, and motherly love. By putting Ceres on the back of Faustina's coin, the Roman government was sending a powerful symbolic message: even though Empress Faustina is gone, her divine spirit is watching over Rome, ensuring that the fields are fertile, the food supply is safe, and everyone stays well-fed. It was the Emperor's way of saying, "My wife is a goddess now, and she is bringing peace and abundance to our empire."