432, Lot: 326. Estimate $100. Sold for $90. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Faustina Junior. Augusta, AD 147-175. AR Denarius (17mm, 3.19 g, 12h). Rome mint. Struck under Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, AD 170-175/6. Draped bust right / Ceres seated left on chest, holding two grain ears and torch. RIC III 669 (Aurelius); MIR 18, 2-4c (unlisted variety); RSC 35. Good VF, toned, small flan crack, spot of verdigris on the obverse.

According to MIR, this reverse type with Ceres standing holding the grain ears downward and also holding a torch is only known with early obverse varieties with hair styles a and b (RIC and RSC do not specify hair varieties). This example uses hairstyle c and is therefore dated later.