Festival of Isis and related issues. Constantine II, as Caesar, 316-337. AE (Bronze, 13 mm, 1.20 g, 12 h), celebrating Constantine I's vicennalia, Rome, 330/331. CONSTANTINVS IVN NOB C Laureate and cuirassed bust of Constantine II to right.
Rev. VOTA VIC-ENNALIOR Prince, wearing trabea, seated front on throne, head to left, holding mappa in his raised right hand and short scepter in his left. Alföldi pl. I, 32. Cohen 270. Ramskold, Festival (2016), Group 8.1, 117-8 (Ø47/R48). Vagi 3207. Extremely rare and of great interest. Somewhat rough
, otherwise, nearly very fine.
From the collection of Dr. L. Ramskold and that of John Casey, Morton & Eden 84, 2 December 2016, 466 (part of).
This coin came to light after Ramskold's paper was published. The reverse has received much scholarly interest. In all early descriptions, the object held in the prince's raised hand was described as a human head (Banduri 1718, Mionnet 1827, Akerman 1834, Cohen 1888, Maurice 1911). However, Ramskold (Festival (2016), p. 209) pointed out that 'the object cannot be a human head. In Roman iconography, severed heads are depicted held by the hair and hanging down. It is impossible to grip a head by the hand', and that the object is 'gripped by the hand so that the finger tips are seen going around it on the far side'. The new, more sensible interpretation is that the object is a mappa.
