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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Heliodromus, post: 8135847, member: 120820&quot;]That&#039;s a great coin, but the figure on the obverse is almost certainly Constantinopolis rather than Helena, despite the unusual diademed depiction. We can see this most clearly by comparison to the orichalcum P-R types (RIC VIII Rome 104, 106, but reattributed to Constantinpole 330 AD) where we see the same busts, but with legends of Constantinopolis and Roma.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1417654[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Obviously all the attention was on Constantinople for the dedication in 330 AD, but Constantine evidentially took care to share the spotlight with Rome, issuing these various paired Constantinopolis/Roma types (continuing on to the common Constantinopolis and Vrbs Roma bronzes issued from all mints).</p><p><br /></p><p>These dedication types are discussed in Lars Ramskold&#039;s paper &quot;Coins and medallions struck for the inauguration of Constantinopolis 11 May 330&quot;, available here:</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.academia.edu/1469456/Coins_and_Medallions_struck_for_the_Inauguration_of_Constantinopolis_11_May_330_2011_Lars_Ramskold_Ni%C5%A1_and_Byzantium_IX_pp_125_158_" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.academia.edu/1469456/Coins_and_Medallions_struck_for_the_Inauguration_of_Constantinopolis_11_May_330_2011_Lars_Ramskold_Ni%C5%A1_and_Byzantium_IX_pp_125_158_" rel="nofollow">https://www.academia.edu/1469456/Coins_and_Medallions_struck_for_the_Inauguration_of_Constantinopolis_11_May_330_2011_Lars_Ramskold_Niš_and_Byzantium_IX_pp_125_158_</a></p><p><br /></p><p>It&#039;s interesting to see the varied headgear worn by Constantinopolis on thise types. Roma is always helmetted as expected, but on the medallion (RIC 53) Constantinopolis is turreted, on the orichalcum and silver fractions she is diademed, and on the common bronze types she is helmetted!</p><p><br /></p><p>Note that although Constantine was very supportive of Christianity, he never actually made it the official religion ... that was done later by Theodosius I. Constantinople seems to have been (re)founded as much a pagan city as a Christian one, given that at the center was a very prominent column topped with a statue of Constantine in guise of the sun god Sol.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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