Faustina II as - New sub-type?

[Rupert]

I'd like to show you two coins here; the first one (on the left) has been in my collection for about fifteen years, the other one came with today's mail. They share the same obv. die.
These are varieties to RIC (Ant. Pius) 1400, draped bust right, leg. FAUSTINA AUG PII AUG FIL, rev. IUNO / S-C, Juno seated left, holding statuettes of the Three Graces and a sceptre; a peacock at her feet. The variety with left-facing portrait is not noted in RIC for this reverse; but since other asses (e.g. HILARITAS / S-C) are rated only Scarce with bust left, they're probably not that rare.
A variety, however, that isn't described at all (in my books at least) is the temple behind Juno. It's not on my new specimen either, but the other one (in worse condition) has a temple behind Juno in very shallow engraving, but clearly visible. Although the coin seems slightly smoothed I see no traces of tooling in this area, and the outlines of the temple are raised, not incuse, on the coin, so I'm sure this is no later addition. This is, IMO, a real new subtype to the normal one. Unless, of course, one of you has the same in his collection, or the book in which it is published.

Eagerly waiting for your comments,

Rupert

[curtislclay]

Rupert,
      That's not a temple behind Juno, just the back of her throne surmounted by volutes or other similar decoration!  On your second coin the entire throne back is omitted, a variation which occurs very often in types showing a seated deity.
      All left-facing Faustina II coins are rare to very rare.  I doubt you will find more than a single left-facing obv. die for this Juno As.  I had an As like yours in my old collection, now in the Ashmolean; and I think I have one in my new collection too, just because it was rare, available, and not expensive!
      On checking, I have to eat my words:  my second specimen is from a DIFFERENT obv. die than your two coins, with a different legend division, FAVSTINA--AVG PII AVG FIL.  My rev. die is also different from your two, and has S C in exergue not field, which may be the variation that I thought justified my acquiring this second specimen.

[Rupert]

Curtis,
that would mean the throne is depicted frontally and Juno sits on it in a right angle?? Did they really do this in antiquity? The Zeus Aetophoros sits to the left on Alexander's coins, and the back of the throne (where it has one) is on the right side. Equally, on Tiberius' Livia denarii, she sits to the right, with the back of the chair on the left side. In any case, the figure sits on the chair straight forward. I would never have come to the conclusion that this might be the back of the chair because I would have taken it as granted that the dignity of the goddess would invariably demand that she be sitting straight on the chair.
In any case, very interesting.

Rupert

[curtislclay]

No, the throne is depicted from the side, but the back was twisted out of perspective to make it easier to render!
This is a very common convention on Roman imperial coins: look through any catalogue, or your own collection, for types with seated deities.

[Samaritan]

I've inserted a picture here from a denarius from Faustina that also depicts the three graces. It is easier to see the throne backing in this reverse...hope it helps clarify the issue.

Mark

[Adrianus]

Hi all,

Here's another. Same obverse die as Rupert's specimen and same reverse die as the first example with the oddly-adjusted perspective to the chair back.

Regards,

Adrianus

[Rupert]

Sure enough, that's it. Seems not to be such a rare type after all.

Rupert

[Adrianus]

Hi Rupert,
I think they are rare - like Curtis I bought this because it was cheap and I realised left-facing imperial women are quite special. Normally second-century bronzes are definitely not my area but in this case I made an exception. Especially at £16.
Regards,
Adrianus

[curtislclay]

It's still rare, but not very rare as earlier.  This is one of the middle-bronze types of Antoninus Pius' reign that were previously very rare, but have now been emerging in small quantities from Bulgaria.