Constantine I Æ Follis "Eyes to Heaven"

I didn't have any Constantine I coins in my pile. Then this one came along. I like the "eyes to heaven" type because it encapsulates the historicity of the times. It's also amazing that one can get such a decent coin from one of the most influential people in history for not too much expense.


Constantine I (306-337), AE Follis (19.5mm., 2.75g.) Æ Follis, Constantinople; Obv: CONSTANTINVS MAX AVG, rosette-diademed head right, gazing upwards, Rev: CONSTANTINI-ANA DAFNE, Victory seated left on cippus, palm branch in each hand, looking right, trophy in front, at the foot of which is a kneeling captive, turning head, spurned by Victory, officina S, in left field, Mintmark CONS; RIC VII Constantinople 32; Sear 16191.

 

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Nicely struck and a wonderful addition to your collection.

 

Nicely struck and a wonderful addition to your collection.

 

Though RIC describes the reverse as Victory with palm in each hand, she is actually holding a palm branch in left hand and laurel branch in right hand. For some reason Bruun ignored Banduri (1718) and Voetter (1921)

This eyes to heaven bust was also desribed by Eusebius when it was issued--



"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)

This type of bust was actually recycled from Alexander the Great and was still being used in the early 3rd century AD.




Here is my favorite anepigraphic eyes to heaven; though it is smoothed.





https://constantinethegreatcoins.com/DAFNE/