The manus dei or hand of God is an artistic convention first seen on some of the posthumous coins of Constantine the Great. Here a chariot with several horses and presumably driven by Constantine himself is received by God represented by the hand of God. The other picture is of an anonymous Byzantine seal of the 11th-12th century which shows us the manus dei in a different context. Mary is shown orans (praying with outstretched hands) from the side with her face partially turned to the viewer. The hand of God is in the upper right. The usual thing is that there is no representation of the infant Christ in any of the myriad ways usually found with Mary. This is called the Theotokos Hagiosoritissa which has to do indirectly with the pose and directly with a church of Mary that supposedly contained the cincture of her garment. In the upper right field; to her left and right we find MHP- ΘV (Mary Theotokos). On the reverse: U CΦPA | ΓIC EIMI | THN ΓPAΦ | HN OPWI | MAΘ in five lines. “Observe the documents to learn whose seal I am”. Hence this is an anonymous seal since one has to break the seal and read the document before ascertaining from whom it comes."
most definitely Constantine, per our primary source on this- Eusebius "At the same time coins were struck portraying the Blessed One on the obverse in the form of one with head veiled, on the reverse like a charioteer on a quadriga, being taken up by a right hand stretched out to him from above." Life of Constantine IV 73 here is a later coin with the manus dei from Arcadius Arcadius A.D. 378- 383 21x23mm 5.7gm DN ARCAD-IVS P F AVG; pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right; holding spear and shield in front, hand of God holding crown above. GLORIA ROMANORVM; Emperor standing facing, head l., labarum in r. hand, left hand on shield, captive at feet on left. In ex. ✶SMNΔ• RIC IX Nicomedia 26 var.
Here is another example of Constantine's Hand of God coin: DV CONSTANTINVS PT AVGG RIC Antioch 37 16 mm. Struck 337-340 after the death of Constantine.
Wow, NOW I can really see the Hand of God by you all's examples above! Thanks. My Hand of God coin is not so good... ...NOW I get it! RI Aelia Eudoxia wife of Arcadius 395-401 CE AE3 2-83g 17mm crowned by hand of God Enthroned Constan mint RIC 79 Perhaps THIS coin has the Hand of God SLAPPING this Dude... Iberia Castulo Late 2nd C BC AE As 25mm Bust Nose Hand Sphinx (Sorry, had to do it...)
The OP mentioned Here is one of the usual, common, anonymous bronzes with that "orans" pose: Byzantine "anonymous bronze" Class J Christ facing/facing bust of Virgin Mary, orans Attributed to Romanus IV, Diogenes, AD 1068-1071 who was the emperor who lost the critical Battle of Manzikert. Sear 1867.
It's faint but can see manus dei in upper right on the reverse. Isaac II 1185 to 1195 AD Billon aspron trachy Obvs: MP OV, The Virgin enthroned facing, nimbate and wearing pallium and maphorium; she holds infant Christ. Revs: I CAA KI OC/ ΔЄC ΠO TH C, Isaac standing and facing, wearing crown, holding cruciform scepter, and being crowned by Manus Dei 28mm, 3.8g Constantinople mint
Neat! I had no idea this was an ancient motif, though I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to learn that. Here is a nice, big medieval coin I had with the Manus Dei device at 12:00: FRANCE, Metz. Civic issue. 14th-16th century. AR Gros (3.01 gm) Boudeau 1659; Saurma 1896/927; Roberts 8932. Toned, gVF
Here it is on this little Eudoxia AE I once owned in my first Roman collection. I recognized the circular thing as a wreath, but the little blob at the top of it just didn't say "hand" to me, somehow. More "manus pumilio" than manus dei, perhaps?
Here is a Eudoxia, wife of Arcadius, with the hand of God crowning her with a wreath. 18 mm maximum. 2.32 grams. SALVS REI-PVBLICAE ANTΓ Antioch mint. RIC X 104 page 249. "401-403" On the RIC IX site http://augustuscoins.com/ed/ricix/ it is type 56.
