I just completed my Constantine I type set of bronze coins from Constantinople. These are coins with his image...none of the city commemoratives. In A.D. 324, a second civil war broke out between Constantine and Licinius.They fought a battle at Adrianople, with the defeat of Licinius. Licinius fled to Byzantium. Crispus attacked the fleet of Licinius and won a brilliant naval victory. Licinius was put to death in 325 and Constantine became the sole ruler of the Roman empire. Byzantium was renamed Constantinople and work was started on it to transform it into the new capitol of the Roman empire. Hundreds and hundreds of people were working in the city. Coinage was started with the common campgate, but quickly a new series of coinage was minted to pay the workers; but these coins also had a message. “Four entirely new types were created for Constantine, GLORIA EXERCITVS, GLORIA ROMANORVM, LIBERTAS PVBLICA, and SPES PVBLIC…Here the reverses record a summing up of the Civil War II, the glory of the army constituting the glory of the Empire, the death of the tyrant (SPES PVBLIC) granting liberty for all.” RIC VII pg 567. So the first reason that Constantinople issued these coins was to celebrate the defeat of Licinius. The second reason was much more practical. There were many workers in the new city being built, transforming it into a capitol worthy to represent the ruler of the Roman Empire. These workers had to be paid, and there were a lot of them, so new coins needed to be minted. According to Jordanes, a Roman bureaucrat who lived during the sixth century, many Goths also helped Constantine and they would have required money. “In like manner it was the aid of the Goths that enabled him to build the famous city that is named after him, the rival of Rome, inasmuch as they entered into a truce with the Emperor and furnished him forty thousand men to aid him against various peoples.” Constantine I A.D. 326-327 Ӕ nummus 19mm 3.4g CONSTAN-TINVS AVG; Laureate head right. PROVIDEN-TIAE AVGG; camp gate, two turrets, no doors, • in archway, ✶ above; in left field A. in ex. CONS RIC VII Constantinople 7 This anepigraphic coin (no legend on obverse) was part of a series of dynastic bronzes issued from various cities as Constantine toured the Empire. Constantine I A.D. 326 18mm 2.4gm Anepigraphic: laureate head right. CONSTAN/TINVS/AVG in three lines; wreath above. In ex. CONSA RIC VII Constantinople 13 These next four coins GLORIA EXERCITVS, GLORIA ROMANORVM, LIBERTAS PVBLICA, and SPES PVBLIC were only struck for Constantine I. Initially Constantine was depicted as laureate, but then began wearing a diadem. Maybe Constantine made a choice to stop being portrayed with the pagan laurel headdress and started using the kingly diadem. Philostorgius said that Constantine began wearing the diadem as a sign "of his sole rule and Victory over opponents." Constantine I A.D. 327 Ӕ nummus 19mm 3.3gm CONSTANTINVS MAX AVG; laureate head right. GLORIA ROMANORVM; Roma seated on a shield, holding a long sceptre, Victory on a globe in right hand, A in left field. in ex. CONS RIC VII Constantinople 17 The next coin is special because it is the only bronze issued by Constantine that has a Chi-Rho as part of the design, rather than merely a field mark or occasional helmet decoration Constantine I A.D. 327 Ӕ nummus 19mm 2.6g CONSTANTINVS MAX AVG; laureate head right SPES PVBLIC; chi-rho atop standard of 3 medallions impaling snake, in left field A. in ex. CONS RIC VII Constantinople 19 Constantine I A.D. 327-8 Ӕ nummus 18x19mm 3.2g CONSTANTINVS MAX AVG; rosette diademed head right. GLORIA EXERCITVS; Soldier holding reversed spear in right, left hand on shield S in left field. in ex. CONS RIC VII Constantinople 22 Constantine I A.D. 327-8 Ӕ nummus 20mm 3.0g CONSTANTINVS MAX AVG; rosette diademed head right LIBERTAS PVBLICA; Victory standing left on galley, wreath in both hands; in left field B. in ex. CONS RIC VII Constantinople 25 The next series is the CONSTANTINIANA DAFNE type. This reverse legend is unique and (surprise) only used for Constantine I. The Greek word for laurel is daphne, and laurel wreaths were signs of victory; so the legend of the Dafne coin could actually translate as 'Constantinian Laurel/Victory'. At some point, the pagan Victory also became the Christian angel...maybe starting with Constantinople coins. There are four different obverses-- 1. head with diadem 2. anepigraphic with head looking upward 3. head with diadem looking upwards 4. diademed draped and cuirassed bust The head looking upwards or “eyes to Heaven” bust was mentioned by Eusebius-- "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) Constantine I A.D. 328 18mm 3.3g CONSTANTINVS MAX AVG; head with rosette-diadem facing right. CONSTANTINIANA DAFNE; Victory seated l. on cippus, palm branch in left hand and laurel branch in right hand, looking r.; trophy at front, at the foot is a kneeling captive with head turned being spurned by Victory; Δ in left. in ex. CONS RIC VII Constantinople 30 Constantine I A.D. 328 Ӕ nummus 21mm 3.2g Anepigraphic: diademed head, looking up to heavens CONSTANTINIANA DAFNE; Victory seated l. on cippus, palm branch in left hand and laurel branch in right hand, looking r.; trophy at front, at the foot is a kneeling captive with head turned being spurned by Victory; A in left field. in ex. CONS RIC VII Constantinople— Constantine I A.D. 328 21mm 3.3g CONSTANTINVS MAX AVG; head with rosette diademed, looking up to heavens CONSTANTINIANA DAFNE; Victory seated l. on cippus, palm branch in left hand and laurel branch in right hand, looking r.; trophy at front, at the foot is a kneeling captive with head turned being spurned by Victory, E in left field. in ex. CONS RIC VII Constantinople 32 Constantine I A.D. 328 Ӕ nummus 20mm 3.7g CONSTANTINVS MAX AVG rosette diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right, with left shoulder raised up. CONSTANTINIANA DAFNE; Victory seated l. on cippus, palm branch in left hand and laurel branch in right hand, looking r.; trophy at front, at the foot is a kneeling captive with head turned being spurned by Victory; Δ in left. in ex. CONS RIC VII Constantinople 35 and last...the common GLORIA EXERCITVS Constantine I A.D. 330-3 17x19mm 2.4g CONSTANTI-NVS MAX AVG; rosette-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right. GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS; Two soldiers helmeted, stg. facing one another, reversed spear in outer hands, inner hands on shields resting on the ground; between them two standards. in ex. CONSB RIC VII Constantinople 59
Congratulations on completing the set. What a wonderful selection of reverses on great examples. Thanks for sharing those
Didn't realize that there was so much to know about Constantine coinage of Constantinople (probably the case with most things ). Great idea for a type collection, and thanks for the tutorial!
Really impressive! Congratulations @Victor_Clark it is a delight to see them. Thank you so much for sharing.
You’re missing 1 type. It was a coin I found in a small hoard that Hans Voegtli had at the 1992 Chicago International. At one point I had a complete RIC VII set from Constantinople except for the Constantia. To date, I’ve never seen another of this type. I sold the coin through CNG in CNG 35 and it later sold in Triton VIII. Nice collection btw.
