Constantine II. As Caesar, AD 316-337. AR Siliqua (19.5mm, 2.87 g, 12h). Commemorating the 1000th Anniversary of the city of Byzantion/Constantinople. Constantinople mint, 9th officina. Struck under Constantine I, AD 333-334. VF.

Triton XXVII – Session 6
Lot: 6346. Estimated: $ 300

Roman Imperial, Silver

Sold For $ 425. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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Constantine II. As Caesar, AD 316-337. AR Siliqua (19.5mm, 2.87 g, 12h). Commemorating the 1000th Anniversary of the city of Byzantion/Constantinople. Constantinople mint, 9th officina. Struck under Constantine I, AD 333-334. Diademed head right, eyes to God / CONSTANTI NVS CAESAR, Victory advancing left, holding wreath and palm frond; M (date)|–//CONSΘ. RIC –; RSC –; Lars Ramskold, “The silver emissions of Constantine I from Constantinopolis, and the celebration of the millennium of Byzantion in 333/334 CE,” in Jahrbuch für Numismatik und Geldgeschichte 68, 2018, Fig. 2, H-I. Toned, some find patina, edge chip, scratches. VF. Extremely rare.

Ex Dr. L. Ramskold Collection; Solidus Summer Auction 43 (23 June 2019), lot 429.

This rarely encountered issue, unpublished in the standard references, belongs to the millennium issues for Constantinople struck during the city’s major anniversary in AD 333. While the issues of Philip I struck for Rome’s major celebration in the previous century are quite prolific and available, examples such as this one for Constantinople’s anniversary dating back to its founding as Byzantion are far rarer. This example is one of very few recorded for the 9th officina. Additionally, it features a different legend break than the two examples illustrated by Dr. Ramskold. Appearing in a sale one year after Dr. Ramskold published his article on the series in 2018, this coin belongs to a very small corpus of examples of a desirable issue. The original founding of Byzantion can be dated from Herodotus’ statement in The Histories that “the Chalcedonians made their settlement seventeen years earlier than the Byzantines” (4.144). From this date of 667 BC, the major anniversary fell on AD 333, only a few years after Constantine re-founded and dedicated the city as Constantinople. While the celebrations were evidently less extravagant than those held for Rome by Philip I, a few small silver issues were struck to commemorate the occasion.

Closing Date and Time: 18 January 2024 at 11:55:00 ET.

All winning bids are subject to a 22.5% buyer’s fee.