Numismatica Ars Classica
Auction 106 9-10 May 2018
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Fausta, wife of Constantine I. Solidus, Thessalonica 324, AV 4.41 g. FLAV MAX – FAVSTA AVG Draped bust r. Rev. SPES REIP – VBLICAE Empress, veiled, standing l. and holding two children in her arms; in exergue, SMTSA. C 14. RIC 137 (this officina unlisted). Alföldi 505 var. (this officina unlisted). Depeyrot 10/4.
Extremely rare and among the finest specimens known. An exquisite portrait
perfectly struck on a full flan, virtually as struck and almost Fdc
Ex Leu 36, 1985, 339; NAC 51, 2009, 429 and NAC 64, 2012, 1311 sales.
As the younger daughter of the emperor Maximian, Fausta was born into a political existence. While still a child – perhaps even an infant – she was betrothed to Constantine, the son of her father's Caesar, Constantius. It was a classic political union made long before Fausta was eligible for marriage. When she eventually married Constantine in 307, it was, again, a matter of political opportunism: Constantine had taken control of the Western provinces after his father's death, and Fausta's father, Maximian, now co-ruler with his son in Italy, was in need of an ally. By this time Fausta would have reached an appropriate age for marriage – probably between 15 and 18 years old – yet she was still much younger than her husband, who was perhaps 35 years old and who already had a grown child from a previous union. During the first decade of their marriage they produced no children, but thereafter Fausta gave birth to five children who grew to maturity. Three were boys, all of whom succeeded Constantine upon his death in 337. But in the early stages of their lives a more prominent character, Constantine's first son Crispus, must have been considered most likely to succeed, for he was substantially older than Fausta's sons and he was popular with the army. With this in mind, there is good reason to believe that Fausta was opposed to the promotion of her stepson Crispus, fearing her own sons would suffer as a result. The outcome of this irreconcilable state of affairs was a family tragedy in 326, less than two years after Constantine and Crispus had combined efforts to eliminate their last rival, Licinius. In the summer or fall of 326 two executions occurred in quick succession: Crispus was killed after a swift trial on charges that remain a mystery, and Fausta was suffocated in a steam bath for reasons that are not known, but are rightly associated with the execution of Crispus. Constantine suppressed the facts in these cases, and there was no official account of their deaths. Indeed, by the end of the 4th century John Chrysostom (Ep. ad Philipp., 4, 15, 5) apparently believed Fausta had died in the amphitheatre, where she was devoured by wild beasts. But this solidus was struck at a happier time, soon after the title of Augusta was awarded to Fausta and her mother-in-law Helena, seemingly on November 8, 324. Prior to this event, both women possessed the lesser title Nobilissima Femina, and, except for a special issue of silver half-argentei for Fausta at her wedding in 307, their coinage had been limited to a single issue of billon coins struck c. 318 to 319 at Thessalonica. The new coinage for Fausta and Helena was produced on a grand scale at mints across the empire, and this time it included gold solidi and medallions. Constantine was careful to distinguish the presumed roles of his wife and mother by identifying Helena with securitas publica (the "well-being of the State") and Fausta with salus publica and spes publica (the "health of the State" and the "hope of the State"). Both of Fausta's types reflect her role of motherhood, for the health and the hope of the empire, simultaneously, were seen as essential elements of the well-being and success of the Constantinian dynasty.
Extremely rare and among the finest specimens known. An exquisite portrait
perfectly struck on a full flan, virtually as struck and almost Fdc
Ex Leu 36, 1985, 339; NAC 51, 2009, 429 and NAC 64, 2012, 1311 sales.
As the younger daughter of the emperor Maximian, Fausta was born into a political existence. While still a child – perhaps even an infant – she was betrothed to Constantine, the son of her father's Caesar, Constantius. It was a classic political union made long before Fausta was eligible for marriage. When she eventually married Constantine in 307, it was, again, a matter of political opportunism: Constantine had taken control of the Western provinces after his father's death, and Fausta's father, Maximian, now co-ruler with his son in Italy, was in need of an ally. By this time Fausta would have reached an appropriate age for marriage – probably between 15 and 18 years old – yet she was still much younger than her husband, who was perhaps 35 years old and who already had a grown child from a previous union. During the first decade of their marriage they produced no children, but thereafter Fausta gave birth to five children who grew to maturity. Three were boys, all of whom succeeded Constantine upon his death in 337. But in the early stages of their lives a more prominent character, Constantine's first son Crispus, must have been considered most likely to succeed, for he was substantially older than Fausta's sons and he was popular with the army. With this in mind, there is good reason to believe that Fausta was opposed to the promotion of her stepson Crispus, fearing her own sons would suffer as a result. The outcome of this irreconcilable state of affairs was a family tragedy in 326, less than two years after Constantine and Crispus had combined efforts to eliminate their last rival, Licinius. In the summer or fall of 326 two executions occurred in quick succession: Crispus was killed after a swift trial on charges that remain a mystery, and Fausta was suffocated in a steam bath for reasons that are not known, but are rightly associated with the execution of Crispus. Constantine suppressed the facts in these cases, and there was no official account of their deaths. Indeed, by the end of the 4th century John Chrysostom (Ep. ad Philipp., 4, 15, 5) apparently believed Fausta had died in the amphitheatre, where she was devoured by wild beasts. But this solidus was struck at a happier time, soon after the title of Augusta was awarded to Fausta and her mother-in-law Helena, seemingly on November 8, 324. Prior to this event, both women possessed the lesser title Nobilissima Femina, and, except for a special issue of silver half-argentei for Fausta at her wedding in 307, their coinage had been limited to a single issue of billon coins struck c. 318 to 319 at Thessalonica. The new coinage for Fausta and Helena was produced on a grand scale at mints across the empire, and this time it included gold solidi and medallions. Constantine was careful to distinguish the presumed roles of his wife and mother by identifying Helena with securitas publica (the "well-being of the State") and Fausta with salus publica and spes publica (the "health of the State" and the "hope of the State"). Both of Fausta's types reflect her role of motherhood, for the health and the hope of the empire, simultaneously, were seen as essential elements of the well-being and success of the Constantinian dynasty.