Sale: CNG 67, Lot: 1773. Estimate $4000.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 22 September 2004.  Sold For $2500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

COMMEMORATIVE SERIES. 337-354 AD. Æ Medallion (32mm, 25.86 gm). Rome mint. Struck 337-340. CONSTANTI-NOPOLIS, draped bust of Constantinopolis right, wearing laureate crested Corinthian helmet and necklace, holding sceptre over right shoulder / VIC-TO-RIA AVG, Constantinopolis, winged and turreted, seated left, holding branch and cornucopiae, left foot on prow. RIC VII 303; RIC VIII 362; F. Ntantalia, Bronzemedallions unter Konstantin dem grossen und seinen söhnen, Series B, 6 (V4/R4); J.P.C. Kent, "Urbs Roma and Constantinopolis Medallions at the mint of Rome," Scripta Nummaria Romana pg. 109, 13; Gnecchi 4. VF, olive green patina. Very rare. ($4000)

From the Michael Weller Collection. Ex Classical Numismatic Review XXVI (Summer 2001), no. 116; Ars Antiqva 1 (3 November 2000), lot 437.

STORY FOR BOTH LOTS

Constantine formally dedicated his new capital city of Constantinople on May 11, 330 and immediately commenced the issue of coinage, with the type of GLORIA EXERCITVS for the imperial family and special types of VRBS ROMA and CONSTANTINOPOLIS for the imperial cities. In addition to the regular coinage, he (and subsequently his sons) issued a series of medallions that often paralleled the motifs of the coins, including this impressive medallion which depicts the personification of the new capital on both the obverse and reverse. Interestingly, the site that Constantine chose for his new city, Byzantium, was also the site of a decisive naval victory against the forces of Licinius, and all the early imagery of Constantinopolis relates to the theme of victory at sea. Thus, when the dedication inspired the issue of a commemorative coinage, Constantinopolis was typified by a sceptred and armed figure of Victory, her foot upon a prow; she was thus regal as well as victorious from her beginning.

It should be noted that the obverse of this medallion shares its die with another issued at about the same time, the reverse of which is nearly identical except that Constantinopolis is being crowned by Victory (Gnecchi 12). The reverse die was re-used for a medallion in the name of Constantius II (Gnecchi 18).