First, my latest acquisition: (Talk about a lady... look at those whiskers!!! Kidding, a hilarious attempt at lighting, we hope) Pop quiz! What do Pamela Voorhees, Edith Myers and Helena Augusta all have in common? They were all woman whom gave birth to evil men and later were turned into saints: (Hey, it's like a week until Halloween) Flavia Julia Helena was a Greek born of humble means, we're not even sure where she was born and before hooking up with Constantius Chlorox wipesus she is referred to as either a "stable-maid"/"inn-keeper" and it's even been hypothesized that she was a prostitute (cool your jets fellas, salacious gossip about rich and famous people has been going on since, well, rich and famous people have been). The unknowns aside, once she became a consort/concubine of Constantius Chlorus it was life in the fast lanes as she would give birth to Constantine I and influence him enough to become a certified saint. There's even a story of her "finding the true cross" She would outlive her John, Constantius, by almost a quarter century. Dying in 330 CE with Constantine by her side. (Here she sits in her favorite rocking chair. Well, ok. It didn't rock. But it WAS made of stone. And yes, it was cold the day she posed for this memorial statue) Helena Augusta, AD 324-328/30. Æ Follis Heraclea mint, 2nd officina. Struck AD 329-330. Diademed and mantled bust right, wearing necklace / Securitas standing left, holding branch; SMHB·. RIC VII 85. This one always made me think that she looked like a turtle Helena AE Follis (Constantinople 337-341, posthumous issue, - Diademed and draped bust right / Pax standing left, holding branch and scepter (RIC 33 / C. 4) So please, post those coins of a Helena gal or whatever "saintly" things come to mind!
Helena (324 - 330 A.D) Æ3 O: FL HELENA AVGVSTA, Draped bust right. R: SECVRITAS-REIPVBLICE, Securitas standing left. Siscia Mint, 5th offcina 19mm 2.8g RIC 218
Wow - wonderful coin! Fantastic details all around. That portrait - looks like she's judging everyone.. sort of like "you better be spending this on something christiany"! Here's my only Helena... the hair detail is quite nice but it's downhill after that.
The Helena I have is barbarous. You can pretty much only recognise her by her hair, which reminds me of a beaver tail... Helena/Constantinopolis barbarous hybrid, c340AD. Found in Britain. 13mm, 0.95g. CIHHO-O AIIG (reading right to left and facing outwards, AIIG is presumably meant to be AVG). Constantinopolis standing on a prow of a ship, holding sceptre and shield, ZPT (possibly TRS for Trier, again reading right to left)
Here is a Helena AE3 from Heraclea, ex Knoblock collection, Stacks, May 1984. 19 mm. FL HELENA AVGVSTA SECVRITAS REIPVBLICE SMHB in exergue RIC VII Heraclea 79 "325-6" The hairstyle is much different from that of the OP coin. She has quite a few (at least five) different hairstyles on coins.
Again, VERY cool hair/headdress. And like my third coin shown, had that turtle neck with the neck hunching going on...
Call me crazy, this is NOT my area *though after my dad gifted me some coins, I did start out learning ancients by identifying LRBs; but is that a Theodora??? Very desirable if it is and even if not a wonderful barbarous!!!
Helena A.D. 318- 319 18mm 3.1g HELENA N F; draped bust right. REV: eight rayed ✶ in laurel wreath. in ex. TSA RIC VII Thessalonica 48 Ex-Failmezger
Helena, Treveri, 326 AD, (AE 19mm, 2.25g), Diademed and draped bust of Helena right/ Rev. Securitas standing facing, head l., holding branch, RIC 481 From the Cardinal Meisner (1933-2017) Collection.
Nice Helena, @Ryro, I like the Treveri style of your coin and always enjoy your posts - Constantius Clorox! Here's my Heraclean Helena: Helena (306-330 AD), Hearclea, 326-327 AD. Obv: FL HELENA AVGVSTA, Bust of Helena, wearing necklace and mantle, right. Rev: SECVRITAS REIPVBLICE, Securitas standing left, lowering branch with right hand and raising robe with left, in exergue SMHЄ• Ref: RIC VII 85.
My only Helena and not as nice as yours ! Helena, 324-325 AD. Æ Follis. 326 AD. Obv: FL HELENA AVGVSTA, diademed and draped bust right Rev: SECVRITAS REIPVBLICE, Securitas standing left, holding branch in right hand. Mintmark STR dot in crescent Mint-Trier RIC VII 481; LRBC 35
Didn't have a Helena, so at Frank's last auction I won this one, a very common Securitas, where she looks very funny, cartoonish. Every time I look at her, she makes me smile : Æ3 Reduced Follis, Mysia, Cyzikus, 325 - 326 AD; officina Mark A 3.378 g, 18 x 20 mm RIC VII, 39; Sear (4th edition) 3908; FL HELENA AVGVSTA, Diademed, mantled, with necklace bust r./ SECVRITAS REI PVBLICAE, Securitas standing l., lowering olive branch, raising hem of robe with right hand; Mintmark SMKA•
I chuckled all the way through your post, @Ryro ! Great coin. HELENA: (turbida terret imago - testudo graeca faciem tuam) RI Helena mother Constantine AE Follis Securitas Nicomedia mint 325-326 CE 19mm 3.3g RIC-95 Sear 16619
My Helena: Helena, Roman Empire, AE3, 328–329 AD, Nicomedia mint. Obv: FL HELENA AVGVSTA; bust of Helena, wearing necklace and mantle, r. Rev: SECVRITAS REIBUBLICE; Securitas, draped, standing l., raising robe with r. hand and lowering branch with l. hand. 20mm, 3.99g. Ref: RIC VII Nicomedia 159. Ex JB collection, ex AMCC 2, lot 504.