Faustina I Silver Denarius c. AD 140–141 ☆ Mother-in-Law of Marcus Aurelius

Denomination: Denarius

Historical Period: Roman: Imperial (27 BC-476 AD)

Cleaned/Uncleaned: Uncleaned

Composition: Silver

Provenance: Ownership History Not Available

Year: 27 BC

Era: Ancient

Fineness: 0.9

KM Number: 90

Ruler: Faustina I

An exceptional, beautifully preserved silver Denarius struck under Faustina I (Faustina the Elder), one of the most revered and beloved empresses of the Roman world. Faustina was the wife of Emperor Antoninus Pius and a foundational matriarch of Rome's golden age. Her daughter, Faustina the Younger, would marry Marcus Aurelius, making Faustina the Elder the direct mother-in-law to Rome's legendary philosopher-emperor.

When Faustina died tragically young in late AD 140, Antoninus Pius was utterly devastated. In his profound grief, he successfully petitioned the Senate for her immediate deification, establishing a massive cult in her honor and initiating one of the largest, most famous commemorative coinage series in ancient history. This coin stands as a gorgeous, tangible artifact celebrating a woman whose family defined the height of Pax Romana.