unique Constantine coin from Constantinople copying a Trajan denarius

Constantine I
circa A.D. 330
20mm 3.1g
CONSTANTI-NVS MAX AVG; Rosette-diademed head right, with slight drapery on left shoulder.
S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI; Victory standing front, head to left, holding wreath in her right hand and palm frond in her left.
In ex. CONSA
RIC VII Constantinople –


I just got this coin and am very pleased to add it to my Constantinople tray. It's currently the only known example of this type and it copies a denarius of Trajan, including the slight drapery. It is the second time though that a Trajan coin was copied in bronze for Constantine. The first time was in A.D. 312 with the S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI Legionary eagle between two vexilla.


This coin was likely to have been struck in A.D. 330 to commemorate the founding of Constantinopolis. I have to wonder how many people would have even known that this coin was modeled on Trajan some 200 hundred years later; but given the rarity, this coin was most likely not intended for general circulation.


below is the Trajan coin that it copies

 

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Another fine addition!

 

Great addition! Something that makes this "homage" to Trajan even cooler is that Trajan own's coinage included many centuries-old "restoration/restitutions" issues copying Republican Denarii (e.g., Trajan's Rubrius Dossenus , his Q. Cassius Longinus, Thermius, his Craw 287/1 type, or his Juno Moneta denarius). Not to mention his Galba, Titus, Julius Caesar Aureus restitutions issues...

 

Absolutely fantastic coin! What a fascinating issue. Congratulations on a well-deserved acquisition, to add to your Constantine I Constantinople mint collection.

 

Besides copying a Trajan coin, I find this coin interesting because of the use of Prince in the reverse legend. Constantine seemed to like being referred to as a Prince. A few examples--





PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS Prince of Youth Trier A.D. 307






PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS Prince of Youth London A.D. 307- 310





PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS Prince of Youth London A.D. 311-312





OPTIMO PRINCIPI Highest Prince Rome A.D. 312 (also copies a Trajan coin)





SAPIENT PRINCIPIS Wise Prince Trier A.D. 313





PRINCIPIA IVVENTVTIS Prince of Youth London A.D. 317- 318






PRINC PERP Eternal Prince Siscia A.D. 318-319 (struck in bronze from several mints Arles - 319-320, London - 318-320, Lugdunum (Lyon) - 319-320, Siscia - 318-320, Ticinum- 318-319, Trier- 318-319)

 

That top one, Prince of Youth, is great overall, but the figure on the reverse (incl. the standards and robes) is really impressive. Amazing that they could give that little face so much character. A great act of tiny artistry >1700 years ago!

I also love the SAPIENT ones. Great reverse legend!

One of my princes of Lugdunum, with captives relegated to the position of mintmark. Perhaps referencing Franks/Alamanni, per V. Clark, "a bit of a morale boost for the citizens- a little propaganda …. Rome was beating the barbarians!"

(I also find it fascinating that captives were such a pervasive, taken-for-granted feature of Roman imagery that they could serve such decorative and subordinate roles as mintmarks.)


Speaking of Constantine copying the reverses from previous emperors:
I think the ADVENTVS types with captives must've been copied from Probus, about 25-30 years earlier. (But adding a star or S/F in fields.)


Probus' reverse was struck at a bunch of different mints, but the Rome ones usually had the same legend break adopted later by Constantine's Londinium version (e.g., RIC 155 [ACSearch results], or RIC 157 [ACSearch res.] like mine below):

 

Very nice looking coin and rich with history.