Before we see the three U.S. coins that bear crosses on them here are a few older coins bearing crosses: Our first photo is of an old Byzantine coin bearing a cross. It's this gold Solidus featuring Anastasius I on its obverse and a representation of Winged Victory holding a long cross in her right hand on the coin's reverse. This gold Solidus was struck at the Constantinople Mint in either 491 or 492 AD (coinarchives.com photo): http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=437412&AucID=796&Lot=3002&Val=46804c2c58add8ef270b6fb6b618447d The obverse of the gold Solidus was changed in 527 from featuring one emperor to featuring a rendition of the co-Emperors Justinus I and Justinianus I with a cross placed on the field of the coin between their heads. Justinianus was named co-emperor by Justinus I on April 4, 527 in order to promote a smooth succession of power. Justinianus had already been named Caesar in 525 and made imperial policy in the name of his uncle in the latter part of his reign. The reverse still has Winged Victory holding a long cross in her right hand. (coinarchives.com photo). Didn't the Constantinople Mintmaster do a nice job? Take a look: http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=437452&AucID=796&Lot=3042&Val=58b4bbcae9a9b409573475efeb95c36d Our final coin photo of a Byzantine gold Solidus minted at Constantinope features Tiberius II on its obverse. Notice the cross atop the eagle sceptre in Tiberius II's left hand. The coins of Tiberius reign feature a cross potent on four steps. (coinarchives.com photo): http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=437522&AucID=796&Lot=3112&Val=56c3564c3278fc76dc8d5783c624e94f Jumping ahead in our numismatic trip to the past let us peruse a few European coins bearing a cross/es on them. (coinarchives photos): http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=1064076&AucID=985&Lot=4266&Val=aba549172a024ab0c5e9aebee2fc23d5 http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=1064131&AucID=985&Lot=4321&Val=d56553b4c1fb703b6e67ecde5af5d3ec http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=1064204&AucID=985&Lot=4394&Val=e3fa8032eff81fcfe1f9259ee159adbe http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=1064223&AucID=985&Lot=4413&Val=dc03a21c6ca45954c5711318c06342b1 http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=1064544&AucID=985&Lot=4734&Val=37b9bb8b41f0ec888ff48bd6c9c3579b http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=1064653&AucID=985&Lot=4843&Val=f3dad5a45da9db2f010f4e72b6a6e483 http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=1064779&AucID=985&Lot=4969&Val=74c8e76a642ccb57ff8d3b7e21b610e3 http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=1065051&AucID=985&Lot=5241&Val=ac61b26953c1166a0835f3694e27c5d2 http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=1062863&AucID=984&Lot=81&Val=5128e5bcc71e076c825af027678ae948 http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=1064031&AucID=984&Lot=1249&Val=b3590b8b96fb18caf6138bffcf0d3a25 http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=1066714&AucID=987&Lot=7&Val=b9479a38816442bda8f7f7ea2f77b60a Here's a Brazilian coin when Brazil was still a Portugese colony: http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=1065798&AucID=985&Lot=5988&Val=d29f463c68f1c68bc2418d9564977b8b And now let us see the three U.S. coins bearing a cross or two on them. The first two are commemoratives: 1936 York County, Maine Half Dollar Commemorative (Obverse): coinpage.com photo http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-2722.html 1934 Maryland Tercentary Commemorative (Reverse): coinpage.com photo - 2 Crosses http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-1440.html This last U.S.A. coin (Shield Nickel) is a lot older and is our only circulation coinage bearing a small cross which lies atop the shield on its reverse.: coin-collecting-guide-for-beginners.com photo: http://www.coin-collecting-guide-for-beginners.com/shield-nickels.html Hope you enjoyed the crosses... Clinker
The first cross on a Roman coin I know of, (representing a Christian Cross and not a random symbol), was bronzes struck by Theodosius I, Roman emperor 379-395. I believe coins of Axum may have been earlier depicting crosses, since they were the first civilization to adopt Christianity. Before Theodosius, Christian symbols on Roman coins were the Chi-Ro, an earlier symbol of Christianity. Chris Chris
Not as much as you are sir. I look forward to yoru posts and hope they continue. I enjoy learning new things from them. Chris
