Ancient Rome Faustina II (the Younger) Copper Sestertius 161AD to 175AD

Faustina II, also known as Faustina the Younger, was daughter of Antoninus Pius and wife of Marcus Aurelius. These hefty sestertii (plural of sestertius) were minted in copper and copper alloys such as bronze and brass during her reign which lasted from AD 161 to 175.

Although loved and honored by her soldiers, and honored by the public after her death, the Roman people generally had a negative view of her during her lifetime. Even though she remained faithful to her husband Marcus, the public enjoyed gossiping about her alleged sexual escapades with famous gladiators and high-ranking soldiers.

Affordable in worn condition, these coins rise quickly in price as wear decreases and eye appeal improves.

Approximate values are given below.
worn: $75
average circulated: $150
well preserved: $300

The coin in our picture comes from RomaDrome, a respected coin dealer in Belgium. CoinQuest thanks RomaDrome for us of the nice image.

These coins come with different inscriptions. The obverse (the side with the head in profile) always includes the text 'FAVSTINA AVGVSTA'. There are different reverse inscriptions: 'DIANA LVCIFERA', 'FECVND AVGVSTAE', 'FECVNDITAS', 'HILARITAS', 'IVNONI LVCINAE' and more, with most being variations of those mentioned.

The reverse design is normally a divine figure holding one or more objects (a scepter, a child, a torch etc.) sometimes with something at his or her feet, such as a peacock. There are always large letters 'S C' to the left and right of the divine figure. Read about this special 'S C' annotation at this CoinQuest page (click here).
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