Dedication of Constantinople

Triton XVI, Lot: 1155. Estimate $15000. Sold for $17000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Constantine I. AD 307/310-337. AR Medallion of 5 Siliquae (30mm, 17.86 g, 6h). Donative to Commemorate the Dedication of Constantinople. Constantinople mint, 6th officina. Struck shortly before 11 May AD 330. Laurel-and-rosette-diademed head right / D N CONSTANTINVS down left field, MAX TRIVMF AVG, down right, Roma enthroned facing with right foot on footstool, shield on ground at side, holding globus in right hand and scepter in left; MCONSS. RIC VII -; Gnecchi -; RSC -; Tkalec (23 October 1998), lot 300. Good VF, small repair on cheek. Extremely rare with this reverse.

Ex Barry Feirstein Collection (Part II, Numismatica Ars Classica 42, 20 November 2007), lot 202; Giessener Münzhandlung 71 (3 May 1995), lot 856.

On 11 May 330 AD, after almost six years of transformation from the ancient city of Byzantium, Constantine dedicated Constantinople as the new eastern capital of the Roman Empire. Forty days of festivities culminated with a final dedication ceremony in the newly-enlarged Hippodrome. To commemorate the dedication, silver five-siliquae multiples were struck which were presented to the new city’s elite in the emperor's presence. They were minted with two reverse types: the well-known seated Constantinopolis, struck at six different officinae, and the very rare seated Roma, struck only at officina S. Their anepigraphic obverse with the large head of Constantine right and the vertical placement of the reverse legend on either side of the figure are reminiscent of Hellenistic royal tetradrachms.

Ten other specimens of this type have been recorded. Of these, six are in public collections: Berlin (2 coins - officinae B and Z), Copenhagen (officina D), Rome (officina D), Milan (officina V), and Trier (officina Z). The remaining pieces, sold at auction, include: Triton VIII (11 January 2005), lot 1249 (officina E); Leu 22 (8 May 1979), lot 383 (officina Z); Berk 100 (29 January 1998), lot 684 (no officina mark); and Tkalec (18 February 2003), lot 247 (officina IA). This medallion was featured in an article on page 4 the August 1996 issue of World Coin News, where the piece was valued at $600,000!