Proto-Contorniate -ROMAN EMPIRE. FAUSTINA AD 161

Proto-Contorniate - ROMAN EMPIRE. FAUSTINA AD 161


ROMAN EMPIRE. FAUSTINA THE YOUNGER (Faustina II), WIFE OF MARCUS AURELIUS, AD 147-175.
Bronze AE Sestertius, 26.85 g., 33 mm. struck ca. AD 161.
Obv. FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, draped bust right.
Rev. TEMPOR FELIC, Faustina standing, looking left, holding two infants in her arms with four other children gathered by her feet. The two infants are no doubt the twins Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus and Lucius Aurelius Commodus Antoninus who would later become the emperor Commodus. The subject of their birth is also celebrated with other types.
BMC 949; C. 222; RIC 1673.

A wonderful striking, surfaces wonderful with a natural light green patination being an important historical type.
Very rare in this condition

 Proto-Contorniate
The edge of this coin is known with a 'fine milling' they are noted in the period of Trajan to Marcus Aurelius. The coins a full round and are very carefully struck. The striking's with such edging which are thicker and are all exceptional beautifully struck and were to have been used as presentation pieces. (This is the 11th piece known + most worn in antiquity) The striking's are all made well centred and the die axis is upright. These Sestertius were also made for presentation purposes at New Year.
PATINA
The light blue / or turquoise patina or pea-green: In the last period of the Roman empire as a consequence of the economic crisis the alloy used to struck bronze coins was no longer good: they initially added lead, but it resulted a metal less strong, that was in a short time used up. To solve this problem and stabilize the alloy, they added arsenic. The alloy was now better, stronger. It was in fact a revolutionary idea.
I never saw in my life these kind of patina on coins of the first two centuries of the Roman Empire.