Crispina
Wife of Commodus • Augusta 178–182 AD
Crispina, daughter of the distinguished senator Gaius Bruttius Praesens, became Augusta upon her marriage to Commodus in 178 AD. Her public image was crafted to project dignity, fertility, and dynastic continuity during a reign increasingly marked by instability. Although her time as empress was brief, her coinage is elegant and often finely engraved, reflecting the high artistic standards of the Antonine period. Following accusations of adultery — likely politically motivated — she was exiled and executed, leaving behind a small but historically significant numismatic legacy.
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WRB 8584 — Æ Sestertius
Æ Sestertius. Rome mint. Struck 180–183 AD. CRISPINA AVGVSTA, draped bust right. ® LAETITIA S.C., Laetitia standing left, holding wreath in right hand and rudder set on globe in left. RIC III 669 (Commodus); Cohen 27.
£150.00
