Faustina the Elder, wife of Antoninus Pius, Posthumous, Denarius

Faustina the Elder (posthumous, under Antoninus Pius), Denarius, AR, Rome, AD 140–161, 2.01 g, 18 mm. DIVA FAVSTINA; draped bust of Diva Faustina right. AVGVSTA; female figure standing left (details indistinct on the specimen). Struck at Rome after her deification; the AVGVSTA reverse is known for the aureus and appears unlisted for the denarius denomination. Authenticity of this piece is uncertain and requires specialist verification; the weight is light for mid-2nd century denarii. Reference: RIC III (Antoninus Pius) —; cf. RIC III 372 (aureus, same legend/type).

Faustina the Elder died in AD 140 and was deified by the Senate; Antoninus Pius commemorated her with an extensive posthumous coinage and the Temple of Diva Faustina in the Roman Forum. Early issues often carry AVGVSTA, underscoring her status and the imperial cult fostered by Pius. The wide circulation of her consecration coinage served dynastic messaging and accompanied charitable initiatives associated with her memory, such as the Puellae Faustinianae, throughout Pius’s reign.