Triton XXI, Lot: 775. Estimate $5000. Sold for $4750. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Faustina Junior. Augusta, AD 147-175. Fourrée Aureus (21mm, 7.20 g, 6h). Contemporary counterfeit. Uncertain mint. DIΛ FΛVSTINΛ ΛVGVSTΛ RIII, draped bust right / COS IIII, emperor, togate, standing left, sacrificing over alter to left from patera held in extended right hand. Unpublished, but cf. Calico 2098a for a similar imitation likely struck with dies by the same engraver as the present piece. Near EF, as made. Fine style forgery, combining an obverse die modeled after Faustina Junior and a reverse die modeled after Antoninus Pius.

Like the similar style counterfeit above (lot 772), which is probably from the same workshop, this piece has been made to a weight approximating a genuine aureus. However, as the core consists of lighter base metal, the size (volume) of these counterfeits is noticeably larger than genuine aurei.