Constantine's "Eyes to Heaven"... what's the big deal?

Regarding the eyes to heaven. His mother Helena was a Christian. She did all she could to convert him. Bear in mind, soldiers of the Empire were devotee's of Mithras' cult; they already believed in the one god idea. The feast day of Mithras was December 25: Christmas anyone? So many Roman political units were adopted by the Holy See and early Church: parish, curia, diocese and more were adopted by the Church as administrative titles as well.

According to oral history/legend the reason he did't convert until his death bed was because he delayed his official conversion was that he felt he had too much "work", read-kill- a lot of folks and he wanted to wait till he was done with expanding and consolidating his power to become baptized. Death bed definitely qualifies as being done.

Incidentely, the first Christian church was built by his mother in Jerusalem. Until then Christians worshiped in homes, caves and other hidden spaces. The Edict of Nantes by Constantine granted Christians the ability to worship in the open and have the same rights as all Roman citizens to worship whom they wanted.

Nike became an angel, and other imperial symbols were adopted by the early Church and Christianized. The emperors title of Pontifex Maximus is still the title of the Popes.

Ah history.

 

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Helena also started the work on St. Catherine's monastery in Sinai by erecting a chapel there. The Mithra cult also believed in the oblution of blood washing away sins. Constantine evidently believed that a deathbed baptism would bring on God's forgiveness given that there would be no more opportunity to commit sins while in that state.

 

Hi Black Friar, Constantine had his bad points, and also some good points. I feel the latter have tended to be exaggerated. He had some of the ways of the rest of the Emperors. But I do know that many consider him a "saintly" Christian who brought Christianity into what he ruled over, in his part of the Empire. Having at least one Constantine I coin, which I appreciate, but do not consider he was, so to speak, in mint condition.

 

I’d like to take this thread in a slightly different direction. I recently purchased this coin from @Brian Bucklan's http://bargainbinancients.com/ site. It’s an “EYES TO GOD” campgate. I had purchased an ETG Dafne from Beast Coins years ago, and added an ETG Votive from @Valentinian a few weeks ago. I had honestly never heard of an ETG Campgate until I saw the coin at Bargain Bin Ancients. And yes, I got it quite inexpensively. Check out Brian’s site if you haven’t already. Some gems to be had.

The coin is a bit rough and very difficult to photograph, but with the legends oriented appropriately, the upward tilt of the face is subtle but noticeable.

I’m not quite sure why I’m posting. I guess I would like to know two things:

1. Anecdotally speaking, the ETG campgate seems much rarer than other ETG issues. Is that true in your experience? What ETG campgates do you have? Can you post them?

2. Can anyone help with the mintmark of my coin? It looks like TMES, which makes no sense. So I want it to be SMKS, because it would then resemble one that @Victor Clark has posted here:

http://www.constantinethegreatcoins.com/asst2/prov57.jpeg

My Coin: 18.50 mm. 3.80 g. 0°

CONSTAN TINVS AVG head with diadem, looking up to Heavens. [This diadem is different from Victor’s coin. My coin’s diadem seems to have diagonal stripes as decoration.]

PROVIDEN TIAE AVGG [In honor of the foresight of the Emperors]; campgate with two turrets and star above. Not sure if legend is AVG or AVGG.

Of these coins Victor has written, “”The ‘eyes to the heavens’ bust type was officially issued in bronze in three reverse types. It was used for VOT XXX, PROVIDENTIAE AVGG and DAFNE types. Sometimes this bust type turns up on CONSTANTINOPOLIS and VRBS ROMA, but this was probably more of the engravers decision than an official design from the mint. It may even turn up on other coins, like this votive from Siscia. It may be a complete accident that it has a slight tilt to the head or an example of artistic license on the part of the engraver.

“It was used more in eastern mints, maybe because Constantine was shifting his capitol to Constantinople. Why did Constantine use this bust type? This type was probably copied from an earlier Greek design, but what, if anything, prompted the use of this type? This type was being issued circa 325-6. During this time, Constantine summoned the Council of Nicea in 325 and celebrated his vicennalia (15 year anniversary). Eusebius tells us this type was issued because of the religious conviction of Constantine. Constantine was also in the process of moving the capitol to Constantinople at this time. It seems likely that Constantine was sending a message to the world with the 'eyes to the heavens' coinage. A message of his increasing beliefs and convictions.

"’How deeply his soul was impressed by the power of divine faith may be understood from the circumstance that he directed his likeness to be stamped on the golden coin of the empire with eyes uplifted as in the posture of prayer to God: and this money became current throughout the Roman world.’" Eusebius (IV.15) http://www.constantinethegreatcoins.com/symbols/

 

Here's another photo that may make the obverse tilt of this campgate a little clearer. A regular campgate for comparison.

 

I have my own thoughts and opinions on it but I won't touch the Constantine good vs bad debate here. I'll just post my only eyes-to-heaven coin, one of my favorite of the Constantine I coins I own. It still has a bit of silvering left (which the photos fail to capture).

 

Re. Mint Mark of Constantine Coin. Not much luck there, from online sources. One comment said - Indicate when the coin was struck, and who was responsible for the workshop at that time. Those lines weren't from cointalk guys, were they ?

 

Well, that’s a good description of what a mintmark is. But I just need help reading mine.

 

One step taken, Gavin. Just a thousand miles remain.

 

On your upper left pic it really looks like SMKS (dot)!

I have an "eyes to heaven" coin on my list, but haven't got one yet.

 

I got mine from our good friend, Brian Bucklan.

Erin

 

Nice one, Erin!

John

 

The head looking up/eyes to heaven obverse campgate from Cyzicus is well known and attested. RIC lists it as obverse type E4 and lists it as RIC Cyzicus 54 for three officinae, B, delta, and epsilon. In addition it exists for gamma and final sigma (S). In addition to all that, I can report it for three diadem types, and a short door variety.

 

No Wonder, Theodosius, that Domitian has got his eyes towards heaven - i.e. that tall dancing girl !!!

 

That’s really very helpful. Thank you. Do you know offhand if any mints other than Cyzicus issued the ETG campgate?

 

I had to check my notes. Series 5 at Cyzicus 328-329 introduced three diademed obverses of a total of seven by 330. One of these had the head looking up; bust E4. This was the only use of that obverse type for any of the mints. So this bust on a gate is specific to RIC Cyzicus 57. Your example for officina S is not listed in RIC, but it has been in my notes for over ten years. That doesn't mean much except to say it has been around for a while. However, I am particularly pleased to see your example since I have this type recorded only for 7 and 8 layer gates. Your 6 layer gate adds to the list.

 

How about pupils to heaven? Seemingly sure to be the work of a single engraver. Regardless, the pupils seem undeniably focused upward, without a raised chin. (I should add that no longer own this coin, as I sold it on eBay sometime ago.)

 

Yes. Victor Clark has some “pupils to heaven” city commemoratives on his website.

 

Don’t you mean Milan? Also, I bought a votive type Constantine I for my Latin teacher. It’s his favorite emperor, so he was really pleased with it.

 

Here's one from Beast coins with my diadem. He's got it as RIC VII Cyzicus 57.