Greetings ! First time here, can you help ?

Skipper53

hi folks, I'm actually a regular on the U.S. Coin forum but ,
a coworker heard I was a coin collector and showed me this coin.
It looks like ancient Greek to me.
About 1 and 1/14 inches in diameter. Gold in color.
He says he's never cleaned it.
I hope the photos I took will tell you something about it.

Thanks so much, Skipper

ajaan

I'm betting Roman but I really don't know.

JohnZ

Civitas is your man. If he doesn't get to this thread, PM him.

satootoko

Maybe it's an early SBA dollar

1jester

"....early SBA dollar"



Oh, welcome, Skipper! Come visit often!

Skipper53

thanks , ajaan. You were right about it being Roman.
From what i could find , it's a Roman bronze sestertius.
AD 138-141 Faustina Senior ,wife of Antonius Pius.

the image I found is a coin on display at the British Museum.
It has the blue-green patina of an ancient bronze.
My friend's coin is gold in color so I suspect it may be a modern cast.

thanks again for the help.

Skipper

MadMuffin

Some of these coins were struck in yellow bronze or brass - so the gold colour does not necessarily mean that it's a copy.

Marcel

CIVITAS

Skipper,

You've got it pegged pretty good. Just one minor correction. The coin's obverse legend reads DIVA FAVSTINA. The DIVA means that Faustina is being deified on this coin and as such she was already dead when the coin was struck. This coin was stuck sometime between 141 and 161 A.D. under the reign of her husband, Antoninus Pius. He was rather distraught at her death and issued a very extensive series of coins in her memory. He also consecrated a temple in her honor in the Roman Forum.

The coin is perfectly authentic. As MadMuffin mentioned, the coin is struck in Orichalcum (an early form of brass). It's not terribly valuable due to its preservation (or lack thereof) but it's a neat piece of history.