Faustina the Younger Coins: Marcus Aurelius, Mother of Commodus and the Antonine Dynasty
Faustina the Younger Coins: Marcus Aurelius, Mother of Commodus and the Antonine Dynasty
Daughter of One Emperor, Wife of Another, Mother of a Third. Her Silver Connects Three Generations of Rome's Most Famous Dynasty.
Faustina the Younger stood at the center of Rome’s Antonine dynasty. She was the daughter of Antoninus Pius and Faustina the Elder, the wife of Marcus Aurelius and the mother of Commodus. Her coins therefore connect three generations of one of the most famous imperial families in Roman history.
They also show how Roman coinage presented an empress. Faustina II appears not simply as the emperor’s wife, but through imagery of fertility, motherhood, harmony, divine favor and dynastic continuity. Because her coinage was extensive, authentic examples remain accessible to collectors today.
Who Was Faustina the Younger?
Annia Galeria Faustina, known to modern collectors as Faustina the Younger or Faustina II, was born in the reign of Hadrian, probably around AD 130. She was the daughter of the future emperor Antoninus Pius and Faustina the Elder.
Her place in the succession became especially important after Hadrian adopted Antoninus in AD 138. As part of Hadrian’s succession arrangements, Antoninus in turn adopted Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus. Faustina eventually married Marcus Aurelius in AD 145.
For the preceding generation, see Faustina the Elder Coins.
Marriage to Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius became emperor in AD 161 and ruled jointly with Lucius Verus until Verus died in AD 169. Faustina had already received the title Augusta years earlier, traditionally dated to AD 147, around the birth of her first child.
The marriage produced a large family, although ancient and modern sources differ in how individual births, deaths and names are counted. Several children died young. Among those who survived into later history were Lucilla and Commodus.
That family context is essential to understanding Faustina’s coins. The repeated emphasis on fertility, children and marital concord helped advertise continuation of the imperial house.
Read more in Marcus Aurelius: The Philosopher Emperor.
Mother of Commodus
Faustina gave birth to the future emperor Commodus in AD 161. Commodus eventually succeeded Marcus Aurelius in AD 180, ending the succession pattern in which several second-century emperors had been succeeded by adopted heirs rather than surviving biological sons.
During Faustina’s lifetime, a surviving imperial son represented continuity and security. For the next generation, see Commodus Coins.
Commodus Silver Denarius: The Gladiator Emperor, NGC, AD 177 to 192
The son himself, in imperial silver. Faustina's boy grew up to be the Gladiator emperor; pair mother and son and hold the dynasty's turning point.
Was Faustina the Younger Unfaithful?
Ancient literary sources preserve hostile stories accusing Faustina of sexual affairs and other misconduct. These anecdotes have been repeated for centuries, but they should not be treated as straightforward biography. Roman historical writing frequently used sexual accusations to attack powerful women, and the surviving traditions about Faustina have political and literary agendas of their own.
The coins offer a striking contrast. Official imagery presents Faustina through ideals such as concord, fertility, motherhood, piety and divine favor. That does not prove what her private life was like, but it shows the image the imperial regime chose to circulate.
Faustina During the Marcomannic Wars
Marcus Aurelius spent much of his later reign dealing with warfare along the Danube frontier. Faustina accompanied him on at least some imperial journeys and received the title Mater Castrorum, “Mother of the Camps,” in AD 174.
The title associated the empress directly with the army and the imperial household’s presence in a military world.
What Do Faustina the Younger Coins Look Like?
Faustina II’s portrait changed over her long period of coinage, making her series especially interesting for collectors who enjoy Roman portraiture. Her elaborate hairstyles can help distinguish periods and issues, although attribution should always rely on the legend and complete coin type rather than hairstyle alone.
Common obverse legends include forms of FAVSTINA AVG and FAVSTINA AVGVSTA. Her reverse types are exceptionally varied. Deities and personifications include Venus, Juno, Diana, Ceres, Fecunditas, Laetitia, Hilaritas, Pudicitia and others. Children sometimes appear directly in the designs, reinforcing fertility and dynastic succession.
Fecunditas and the Politics of Motherhood
One characteristic theme is Fecunditas—fertility or fruitfulness. For an imperial family, childbirth was political. A secure succession reduced uncertainty about who might rule after the emperor.
Collectors should still resist turning every reverse into a precise biographical event. Roman reverse imagery often expressed broad ideals rather than recording a specific day in Faustina’s life.
Silver Denarii of Faustina the Younger
Faustina II was represented in gold, silver and bronze. Her silver denarii are particularly popular because they combine a recognizable portrait, extensive reverse variety and direct connection to Marcus Aurelius’s reign.
Faustina the Younger Silver Denarius: Wife of Marcus Aurelius, NGC, AD 147 to 175
The empress this article is about, in her own silver. An authentic NGC-certified denarius of Faustina II, struck in the heart of the Antonine age.
Faustina I vs. Faustina II
Faustina the Elder was the wife of Antoninus Pius and mother of Faustina the Younger. Faustina the Younger was the wife of Marcus Aurelius and mother of Commodus.
The easiest reliable distinction comes from reading the legend and identifying the complete type. Faustina I’s enormous posthumous series commonly uses DIVA FAVSTINA. Faustina II’s lifetime coinage commonly uses legends naming Faustina as Augusta, although exact wording varies. Portrait style and hairstyle are useful supporting clues, but collectors should not identify either woman from the face alone.
The Death and Deification of Faustina II
Faustina died in AD 175 at or near Halala in Cappadocia while traveling in the East with Marcus Aurelius. The circumstances are not securely known. She was deified after her death, and Halala was renamed Faustinopolis in her honor.
Posthumous coinage commemorated Diva Faustina and continued the Roman practice of using consecration issues to place deceased members of the imperial family within the divine order.
Why Collect Faustina the Younger?
Few Roman women connect so many major collecting themes. A Faustina II coin can belong in a collection of Roman empresses, the Antonine dynasty, Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, Roman women, imperial portraiture, dynastic propaganda or Roman religion.
Her extensive coinage also means collectors can study meaningful differences in portrait, legend and reverse without requiring a collection built entirely around rare types. For a broader strategy, see Collecting Ancient Coins by Ruler.
Daughter of one emperor, wife of another, mother of a third. Few Roman coins connect three generations so directly.
FAQ: Faustina the Younger Coins
Who was Faustina the Younger?
Faustina II was the daughter of Antoninus Pius and Faustina the Elder, wife of Marcus Aurelius and mother of Emperor Commodus.
When did Faustina the Younger become Augusta?
She received the title Augusta in AD 147, years before Marcus Aurelius became emperor.
Was Faustina the Younger the mother of Commodus?
Yes. Commodus was born to Marcus Aurelius and Faustina in AD 161 and later became emperor.
What does Mater Castrorum mean?
It means “Mother of the Camps.” Faustina received the title in AD 174, associating her with the imperial army and military camps during Marcus Aurelius’s frontier wars.
Are the stories about Faustina’s affairs true?
They are accusations preserved in ancient literary traditions, but the evidence is not strong enough to treat the sensational stories as established historical fact.
How can I tell Faustina the Elder from Faustina the Younger on a coin?
Use the full obverse legend, portrait and reverse attribution together. Do not rely on the portrait alone.
Are Faustina the Younger coins rare?
Many denarii and bronzes are readily collectible, although rarity varies substantially by denomination, reverse type, mint, variety and condition.
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