RIC VII, NICOMEDIA 129/131, HELENA, HYBRID [FORGERY]

OBVERSE	FLHELENA-AVGVSTA [FL HELENA AVGVSTA]; bust r., diademed, mantled, with necklace [NICOMEDIA 129].
REVERSE	SPESREI-PVBLICAE [SPES REIPVBLICAE]; Empress stg. to front, looking l., head veiled; two children in her arms. MNA in exergue [NICOMEDIA 131].
NOT IN RIC	HYBRID. Obverse NICOMEDIA 129 with reverse NICOMEDIA 131. But note that this coin belongs to the group of highly deceptive and quite popular forgeries. See also CORRIGENDA, VOL. VII, p. 690.

NOTES

Weight 3.30 g; diameter 20 mm. Coin sold on eBay (Numismatik Lanz) in November 2011 for EUR 77.89. Other specimens: - sold on eBay (Numismatik Lanz) in June 2019 for EUR 124; sold on eBay (Numismatik Lanz) in July 2019 for EUR 80; weight 2.83 g; diameter 19 mm [click for picture]; - sold on Savoca Numismatik 16th blue auction (lot 1825) in February 2019 for EUR 110; weight 3.28 g; diameter 19 mm [click for picture]; - from Numismatikforum; posted by Amentia; apparently the fresh example without artificial patina and other forger's tricks [click for picture].