Commemorative Series, circa 337-340. 1/3 Siliqua (Silver, 13 mm, 0.90 g, 12 h), Constantinopolis. Draped female bust (Helena?) to right, wearing wreath (?), single pendant earring and elaborate necklace. Rev. Large K within pelleted circle. Ramskold, Coins and medallions (2011), p. 144, fig. 12B var. Ramskold, Constantine's SPES PVBLIC coins (2020), p. 320, fig. 58E (this coin). Extremely rare, one of two known examples and of great historical interest. Crystallized and with some edge chipping, otherwise, good very fine.


This piece is very similar to lot 2846 in Part I of the Ramskold Collection, offered in Leu Web Auction 25, in that it shows a female bust without a tied diadem. Ramskold interpreted the hairdo as showing a braid held in place with pins (today called crown braid or halo braid), reminiscent of the posthumous bronze coins struck for Helena and Theodora in 337-340. However, this cataloger has some doubts about this interpretation, as the supposed braid does resemble a (laurel?) wreath much more than it does actual hair. Note that on our coin, the hair below the wreath (?) is combed away in straight lines, unlike on the bronze coins and on Triton XII (2009), 774, where it is bound in an upward knot. In any case, it seems very likely that the coins do show a member of the imperial family, perhaps Helena. The style of the coin is notably quite different from the other Ramskold piece, and certainly indicates a different engraver, perhaps even a later emission.