AELIA PULCHERIA, sister of Theodosius II and wife of Marcian. Died 453 AD. 
      AR Double Reduced Argenteus or 'Light Miliarense' (3.72 gm). Struck circa 
      AD 420-422. Constantinople mint. AEL PVLCH-ERIA AVG, diademed, draped and 
      cuirassed bust right, wearing necklace and earring / Chi-rho within 
      wreath; CON*. RIC X -; MIRB -; RSC -. Unique and unpublished. For a 
      parallel gold issue see RIC 224 and MIRB 43 (Semissis). Near EF, areas of 
      light porosity, of highly accomplished and notably neat workmanship in the 
      finest paleo-Christian style. ($5000) Aelia Pulcheria was born at 
      Constantinople in 399 and on 4 July 414 was appointed Augusta to act as 
      regent for her brother Theodosius II, only two years her junior. After the 
      departure of the praetorian prefect Anthemius she dominated the court and 
      to her influence is attributed the atmosphere of monastic piety, chastity 
      and Mariology which prevailed. Despite the insults of the anti-Marian 
      Nestorians, she was loudly applauded at the Council of Chalcedon in 431. 
      Her ascendancy over her brother waned after 423 in the face of her rival 
      augusta, the emperor.s wife Eudocia, and then gave way to the powerful 
      eunuch-chamberlain Chrysamphius who dominated the court in the 440.s. 
      Pulcheria had recovered the initiative by the time Theodosius died in 450, 
      helped the retired soldier Marcian succeed him, and placed the crown on 
      his head. She also agreed to become his nominal wife, the .virgin 
      empress., thus formally preserving the Theodosian dynasty. In 453 she died 
      leaving all her possessions to the poor. (NEW PARAGRAPH)The occasion for 
      this remarkable novum may be Rome.s successful military offensive of 420 
      into Persia after the death of Yazdgard and succession of Vahran V. The 
      subsequent celebrations and donations to the church included the erection 
      of a large jewelled golden cross on Golgatha in Jerusalem. The only silver 
      denomination previously known for Pulcheria is the reduced "siliqua" of 
      about 1.80-2.00 gms, RIC 383, 387 and 531, of which 383 with cross within 
      wreath reverse may be a related issue. (NEW PARAGRAPH)The Chi-rho 
      monogram, formed by the combined first two letters of the Greek word for 
      Christ (= the anointed) as well as the symbol representing the Cross and 
      the Crucifixion, symbolised divine protection and triumph over death. It 
      displaced the eagle on the Roman standard or labarum when Constantine the 
      Great confronted Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge in 312, and both XP 
      (Christ) and IX (Jesus Christ) appear earlier as funerary monograms in the 
      catacombs.


Triton V Sale, 16 Jan 2002, lot 2223.

 Lot was unsold.

By permission of CNG, www.cngcoins.com.