Faustina Senior — Posthumous Aureus of the Empress Wife of Antoninus Pius | AD 138–140/1 | Struck under Antoninus Pius, ca. AD 146–161 | Rome Mint | AV Aureus, 7.34 grams | RIC III 356a | Calicó 1763 | NGC Ch AU | Strike 5/5, Surface 2/5 | Brushed, Scuffs

This is a posthumous aureus of Faustina Senior, wife of the emperor Antoninus Pius and one of the most extensively commemorated women in Roman imperial coinage. Faustina died in AD 140 or 141, during the third year of Antoninus Pius’ reign, and the Senate subsequently deified her, granting her games, a temple, priestesses and other honors. Antoninus continued striking an extensive series of coins in her name for years after her death. This example, weighing 7.34 grams, was struck at Rome during the reign of Antoninus Pius, approximately AD 146–161, and is catalogued as RIC III 356a and Calicó 1763.

The obverse bears the elegant draped bust of Diva Faustina facing right, with her elaborate hairstyle carefully arranged in the characteristic fashion of her posthumous portraits. The legend DIVA FAVSTINA is particularly important: Diva identifies Faustina not simply as the deceased empress, but as a woman who had been formally elevated into the divine sphere through imperial consecration. Her continued appearance on Roman gold therefore served a religious purpose as well as a dynastic one, preserving the memory of the imperial wife as a permanent figure within the state cult. The portrait is beautifully suited to the broad flan here, with the hair, facial features and surrounding lettering receiving a remarkably strong 5/5 strike.

The reverse presents Ceres, veiled and standing left, holding a torch and scepter, with the inscription AVGVSTA. Ceres—the Roman goddess of agriculture, grain and fertility—was an especially appropriate deity for Faustina's posthumous coinage. Her imagery conveyed ideas of fertility, abundance and the continuation of life, while the association with Faustina helped transform the deceased empress into a symbol of prosperity and imperial continuity. The pairing is deliberate: Diva Faustina on the obverse, Ceres on the reverse, linking the deified empress with one of Rome's most important agricultural and maternal deities. The exact type is well documented in museum and auction collections as RIC 356a / Calicó 1763.

The historical story behind the coin is particularly compelling. Antoninus Pius and Faustina were married before Antoninus became emperor, and when she died, the Senate's deification transformed her from an empress into a permanent member of Rome's imperial religious landscape. Antoninus built a temple for her on the Sacra Via at the entrance to the Roman Forum, the structure now known as the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina. The temple originally honored Faustina alone; after Antoninus died in AD 161 and was himself deified, it was rededicated to both members of the imperial couple.

The sheer quantity and longevity of Faustina's posthumous coinage makes her one of the most recognizable female figures in Roman numismatics. These issues continued to circulate and be produced long after her death, effectively keeping the memory of the imperial household present in everyday Roman economic life. This aureus is an especially desirable denomination for that story: 7.34 grams of Roman imperial gold carrying the portrait of a woman who had been dead for years when this particular piece was struck. The NGC Choice AU, 5/5 strike is well supported by the razor-sharp definition visible in both the portrait and Ceres, while the 2/5 surface designation reflects the noted brushing and scuffs. Even with those surface issues, the coin retains considerable golden presence and exceptionally strong design detail.

What makes the piece exceptional historically is that it is not merely a portrait of an empress—it is a physical product of Roman deification. Faustina died, was elevated to divine status, received a temple in the Forum, and then continued to appear in gold coinage under her husband's reign. In this sense, the aureus represents the Roman state deliberately transforming the memory of a deceased empress into something enduring: a goddess, a dynastic ancestor, and a permanent presence in the monetary and religious life of the empire.