Diva Faustina Sr. Died 141 CE
Struck under Antoninus Pius after circa 146 CE
AR Denarius 18mm, 2.89g, 10h)
Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA, draped bust right
Rev: AED DIV FAVSTINAE, temple of Diva Faustina: façade of hexastyle temple on podium, railing in front, statues before outer columns, relief in pediment, quadriga and figures as acroteria; within, seated statue of Faustina.
RIC III 343 (Antoninus Pius); BMCRE 339-343 (Antoninus Pius); BMCRE 339 (Pius); RSC 1
Ex Akropolis Coins
This coin depicts the Temple of Antoninus Pius and Faustina, though at the time it was minted it was known as the Temple of Diva Faustina. Its construction was started by Antoninus Pius in 141 CE in honor of his deceased wife, Faustina the Elder. When Antoninus Pius joined her in 161 CE, his successor Marcus Aurelius re-dedicated the temple in honor of both.
Today, the building is a church called Chiesa di San Loreno in Miranda, constructed sometime in the 7th or 8th centuries. Obviously, the statue of Faustina no longer exists within the church, though fragments of both her statue and that of Antoninus Pius have been found. The marble columns, still clear today, are also clear on this coin.
Here are two photographs I took of the church in a visit to Rome in 2004.
