176
3205
Annia Faustina. Silver Denarius (3.22 g), Augusta, AD 221.
Rome, under Elagabalus. ANNIA FAVSTINA AVG, draped bust
of Annia Faustina right.
Reverse:
CONCORDIA, Elagabalus, to-
gate, and Annia Faustina, draped, standing facing one another,
clasping hands; between, star. RIC 232; BMC p. 570, †; RSC 1.
A superb example, boldly struck with the head of Annia in high
relief. Lovely bluish and rose iridescent tone. A fantastic coin and
certainly a highlight of this important collection.
Of the highest
rarity, only the fifth specimen known and possibly the finest. One of
the greatest rarities of the entire Imperial series
.
Extremely Fine.
Although of uncertain parentage, Annia Faustina was descend-
ed from the emperor Marcus Aurelius on both sides of her family.
She shared a close personal friendship with the Severan ma-
triarch and emperor Elagabalus’ grandmother, Julia Maesa,
who encouraged her to marry her grandson in an effort to help
salvage his reputation, which at this point was considerably tar-
nished for having married a Vestal Virgin on top of numerous
other offenses to Roman sensibilities. Although we do not know
her motivations for doing so, Annia Faustina agreed to the mar-
riage, this in spite of an age difference of a generation (she
was at least twice as old as the prospective groom), and the
fact that she was already married. She divorced her husband,
who was promptly executed on trumped-up charges of treason,
and consummated her marriage to Elagabalus in either June or
July AD 221. The emperor soon grew tired of her, however, and
they divorced before the year was over, her retiring to private
life, and Elagabalus remarrying his second wife, Aquilia Severa.
A great rarity in the Roman series, there are but five denarii of
Annia Faustina known, two of which reside in museum collec-
tions (Paris and Madrid). The other two examples that are avail-
able to collectors, Leu 22, 316 = Jameson Collection, 214 and
Gorny & Mosch 155, 342, share the same dies as our specimen.
Estimated Value......................................................... $100,000-UP
Ex NAC 64 (17-18 May 2012), 1226; Triton XII (5 January 2009),
704.
