Dupondius Faustina older

[Paschulke]

hello,
anyone an idea, wich refernce could it be?

weight: 12 g
diameter: 30 mm

[antoninus1]

A very tired looking Faustina

Ceres with torch and Palladium.

RIC 1196 with bust to right. This bust to left is rare. It´s a worn but nice coin.

[curtislclay]

Isn't the diameter of your coin actually c. 24-27 mm?

At 30 mm it would be a sestertius: but that wouldn't accord with a weight of 12 g, plus according to the British Museum Catalogue this reverse type was struck only on middle bronzes, not on sestertii.

[Paschulke]

sure, diameter and weight are correctly.

[curtislclay]

Could you show us a picture of the coin next to a ruler in mm, to confirm that its diameter is in fact 30 mm?

[Paschulke]

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(the Dupondius right, a Sestertius with a weight of 26 g left)

[curtislclay]

At 30 mm it would be a sestertius: but that wouldn't accord with a weight of 12 g, plus according to the British Museum Catalogue this reverse type was struck only on middle bronzes, not on sestertii.

On rechecking, I am relieved to find that this reverse type is indeed known on ordinary bust-right sestertii: BMC 1536-8, Cohen 268, RIC 1151.

So your coin is from sestertius (not middle-bronze) dies, and it is struck on a sestertius-size flan, which is however very thin and accordingly weighs only half as much as a normal sestertius should!

I am unaware of any parallel for such a thin and underweight Antonine sestertius. Yet the style and fabric of your coin leave no doubt that it is ancient and official!

[Paschulke]

many thanks for this statement!