Helena coins Roman Imperial catalog

Empress Helena (?-329), mother of Constantine I

Helena was born around 250 AD in the province of Bithynia. In her youth she either owned a tavern or (more likely) was a servant in it. Probably it was there that she was seen by Constantius Chlorus, who was then an officer of high rank. It was hardly about marriage, most likely Elena was just his mistress. However, officers enjoyed the privilege of declaring their illegitimate children legitimate, so their son Constantine, born a little later than 280, enjoyed all the rights of Constantius' heir.

Constantius, by order of Diocletian, married Theodora, the stepdaughter of Maximian, whose co-emperor he became in 293, and until his death in 306 shared power with him in the Western part of the empire. Constantine proclaimed himself emperor after the death of his father and gradually became sole ruler of the whole empire in 324.

To mother he treated with sincere honor and always emphasized it. The reason for it was most likely that they together bore humiliations when at Constantius was Theodora and her children.

Constantine gave his mother vast estates, she could use the money freely. In 325 he conferred on her the title of Augusta. At this time Helena had already converted to Christianity and was zealously engaged in religious affairs.

When Constantine executed his son Crispus at the instigation of his wife Fausta, Helena, who loved her eldest grandson very much, in turn accused Fausta of adultery. Constantine believed and killed his wife too.

Elena was one of the first empresses who made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. With this journey is connected a huge number of legends (most often not confirmed by anything) up to the fact that she personally found the tree of the Holy Cross.

Having returned from the journey Elena died about 330 AD at the age of about eighty years.

 

 

FL HELENA AVGVSTA
SECVRITAS REIPVBLICE

325-326
copper
Nicomedia
18 mm.
Draped bust in the diadem right / Flavia Helena Augusta
Securitas standing left, holds wreath / Security of Republic
Coin value - $80-120

 

 

 

 

 

Coins of Helena in the catalog are presented divided by historical periods, indicating the main characteristics and differences by type.
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