Commemorative Series. AD 330-354. Æ Follis (16mm, 1.45 g, 8h). Rome mint, 5th officina. Struck AD 337-340. VF.

Electronic Auction 547
Lot: 991. Estimated: $ 150

Roman Imperial, Bronze

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

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Commemorative Series. AD 330-354. Æ Follis (16mm, 1.45 g, 8h). Rome mint, 5th officina. Struck AD 337-340. Laureate, helmeted, and mantled bust of Constantinople left, holding scepter over shoulder / Victory standing left, foot on prow, holding wreath and palm frond; R(palm)Є. RIC VIII 42. Light brown patina, some weakness. VF. Rare. None in CoinArchives. RIC cites one in Vienna.

From the Mars Collection.

With the dedication of the city of Constantinople in AD 330, Constantine I used circulating coinage to help elevate his newly-founded city to the same level of importance as Rome. These “city commemoratives” were struck to honor both Rome and Constantinople. The Roma type used imagery from the city’s legendary founding, depicting the she-wolf and twins. Meanwhile the Constantinople type drew inspiration from Constantine’s naval victory over the Licinii at Chrysopolis, featuring Victory advancing on a ship’s prow. Though meant to specifically honor these two cities, the city commemorative series was struck throughout the empire at various mints. With this specific coin, one finds the Constantinople type struck at the Rome mint. For further reading, see Kent, “Urbs Roma and Constantinopolis medallions at the mint of Rome,” pp. 105-13 in Essays Sutherland.

Closing Date and Time: 4 October 2023 at 15:30:00 ET.

All winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer’s fee.