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<p>[QUOTE="Ocatarinetabellatchitchix, post: 4833579, member: 99554"]<b>September 2nd 465 AD. Constantinople </b></p><p><br /></p><p>The night is already very late. The old lady wanders erratically through piles of what she calls her memories. Has she abused the good wine that was served at the evening meal? Maybe. But one thing is certain, when she stumbles over one of her countless unnecessary items and drops her precious candles straight into a pile of dusty blankets, her old house is immediately lit like it never has been before. Almost instantaneously the neighboring house takes part in this great conflagration and one after the other the streets of the beautiful city light up with a macabre glow ...</p><p><br /></p><p>Over the next six days, the fire destroyed the buildings in eight of the 14 sections into which the Eastern Roman Imperial capital had been divided. Superstitious people believed that a malignant demon had assumed the shape of the old woman. The Acropolis was damaged, the temple of Apollo burned, the Senate house of the forum of Constantine destroyed and many magnificent private residences were burned down. The Emperor, alarmed by the disaster, withdrew across the Golden Horn to the Palace of St.Mamas and remained there for six month.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>For all fans of Roman history, <b>Constantinople</b> played an important role in the Empire annals. Let's talk a bit about this city and its mint.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>The city</b></p><p><br /></p><p>Built in the seventh century BC, the ancient city of Byzantium has proven to be a precious city for the Greeks and Romans. Because he was on the European side of the Bosphorus Strait, Emperor Constantine understood its strategic importance, and when the empire reunified in 324 AD built his new capital there - <b>Constantinople</b>. Constantine was unsure where to locate his new capital. Old Rome was never considered. He understood the infrastructure of the city was declining; its economy was falling off and the only source of income was becoming scarce. Nicomedia had everything he could want for a capital --a palace, a basilica and even a circus-- but it had been the capital of his predecessors, and he wanted something new. Although he had been tempted to build his capital on the site of ancient Troy, Constantine decided it was best to locate his new city at the site of old Byzantium, claiming it to be a New Rome. Although he kept some remnants of the old city, New Rome was four times the size of Byzantium and built on seven hills (just like Old Rome), the city was also divided into fourteen districts (again like Rome); it was renamed, and dedicated on 11 May 330 AD. </p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Theodosian_Walls_of_Constantinople%2C_Istanbul_%2837905276401%29.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p>The Walls built by Theodosius</p><p><br /></p><p>Supposedly laid out by Constantine himself, there were wide avenues lined with statues of Alexander the Great, Caesar, Augustus, Diocletian, and of course, Constantine dressed in the garb of Apollo with a scepter in one hand and a globe in the other. The city needed a reliable water supply. There were sufficient aqueducs, tunnels and conduits to bring water into the city but a lack of storage still existed. To solve the problem the Binbirderek Cistern (it still exists) was constructed in 330 AD. <b>Constantinople</b> would become the economic and cultural hub of the east and the center of both Greek classics and Christian ideals. Its importance would take on new meaning with Alaric's invasion of Rome in 410 AD and the eventual fall of the city to Odoacer in 476. </p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://istanbultourstudio.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/media_content/picture/651/medium_9497734628_0a2147a28c_k__2_.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p>The Valens' aqueduct</p><p><br /></p><p><b>The mint</b></p><p><br /></p><p>In 326 AD the imperial mint started its production. It has been said that the staff and the equipment of the new workshop were imported from Italy, from Ticinum specifically, whose mint would disappear to give rise to that of Constantinople. The excellent quality of the first <b>Constantinople</b> issues is due definitely to having inherited the knowledge of one of the most virtuous workshops among those established as a result of Diocletian's monetary reform. The production of the <b>Constantinople</b> mint was always very high and coins were struck in gold, silver and bronze. At the beginning, the mint opened with only two officinae, but after the execution of Crispus and Fausta, a third was added. At the New Year, 327 AD, the number of officinae in use was seven. </p><p><br /></p><p>Finally, when the GLORIA EXERCITUS coinage began, soon after the Dedication of the city in May 330 A.D., a total of eleven officinae was employed. The eleven officinae for bronze continued for the period 346-360 A.D., when these were reduced to four under Julian the Apostate and Jovian. In the first issue for Valentinian and Valens this was increased to five and in the second issue to seven. For the rest of the century the number fluctuated between seven and four, but from the early fifth century onwards the officinae did not normally sign their products. In the case of some issues between 383 and 392 the officinae were differentiated for the various rulers. The mint will continue emitting coins throughout the long byzantine period, remaining quite high the coinage volume and its variety.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Now it's time to show off. Please present us your favorite examples of Constantinople's coins in your collection !</b></p><p><br /></p><p>Jovian</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1168861[/ATTACH] </p><p>Constantine The Great</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1168862[/ATTACH] </p><p>Constantius II</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1168863[/ATTACH] </p><p>Theodosius</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1168864[/ATTACH]</p><p>Gallus</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1168865[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Ocatarinetabellatchitchix, post: 4833579, member: 99554"][B]September 2nd 465 AD. Constantinople [/B] The night is already very late. The old lady wanders erratically through piles of what she calls her memories. Has she abused the good wine that was served at the evening meal? Maybe. But one thing is certain, when she stumbles over one of her countless unnecessary items and drops her precious candles straight into a pile of dusty blankets, her old house is immediately lit like it never has been before. Almost instantaneously the neighboring house takes part in this great conflagration and one after the other the streets of the beautiful city light up with a macabre glow ... Over the next six days, the fire destroyed the buildings in eight of the 14 sections into which the Eastern Roman Imperial capital had been divided. Superstitious people believed that a malignant demon had assumed the shape of the old woman. The Acropolis was damaged, the temple of Apollo burned, the Senate house of the forum of Constantine destroyed and many magnificent private residences were burned down. The Emperor, alarmed by the disaster, withdrew across the Golden Horn to the Palace of St.Mamas and remained there for six month. For all fans of Roman history, [B]Constantinople[/B] played an important role in the Empire annals. Let's talk a bit about this city and its mint. [B]The city[/B] Built in the seventh century BC, the ancient city of Byzantium has proven to be a precious city for the Greeks and Romans. Because he was on the European side of the Bosphorus Strait, Emperor Constantine understood its strategic importance, and when the empire reunified in 324 AD built his new capital there - [B]Constantinople[/B]. Constantine was unsure where to locate his new capital. Old Rome was never considered. He understood the infrastructure of the city was declining; its economy was falling off and the only source of income was becoming scarce. Nicomedia had everything he could want for a capital --a palace, a basilica and even a circus-- but it had been the capital of his predecessors, and he wanted something new. Although he had been tempted to build his capital on the site of ancient Troy, Constantine decided it was best to locate his new city at the site of old Byzantium, claiming it to be a New Rome. Although he kept some remnants of the old city, New Rome was four times the size of Byzantium and built on seven hills (just like Old Rome), the city was also divided into fourteen districts (again like Rome); it was renamed, and dedicated on 11 May 330 AD. [IMG]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Theodosian_Walls_of_Constantinople%2C_Istanbul_%2837905276401%29.jpg[/IMG] The Walls built by Theodosius Supposedly laid out by Constantine himself, there were wide avenues lined with statues of Alexander the Great, Caesar, Augustus, Diocletian, and of course, Constantine dressed in the garb of Apollo with a scepter in one hand and a globe in the other. The city needed a reliable water supply. There were sufficient aqueducs, tunnels and conduits to bring water into the city but a lack of storage still existed. To solve the problem the Binbirderek Cistern (it still exists) was constructed in 330 AD. [B]Constantinople[/B] would become the economic and cultural hub of the east and the center of both Greek classics and Christian ideals. Its importance would take on new meaning with Alaric's invasion of Rome in 410 AD and the eventual fall of the city to Odoacer in 476. [IMG]https://istanbultourstudio.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/media_content/picture/651/medium_9497734628_0a2147a28c_k__2_.jpg[/IMG] The Valens' aqueduct [B]The mint[/B] In 326 AD the imperial mint started its production. It has been said that the staff and the equipment of the new workshop were imported from Italy, from Ticinum specifically, whose mint would disappear to give rise to that of Constantinople. The excellent quality of the first [B]Constantinople[/B] issues is due definitely to having inherited the knowledge of one of the most virtuous workshops among those established as a result of Diocletian's monetary reform. The production of the [B]Constantinople[/B] mint was always very high and coins were struck in gold, silver and bronze. At the beginning, the mint opened with only two officinae, but after the execution of Crispus and Fausta, a third was added. At the New Year, 327 AD, the number of officinae in use was seven. Finally, when the GLORIA EXERCITUS coinage began, soon after the Dedication of the city in May 330 A.D., a total of eleven officinae was employed. The eleven officinae for bronze continued for the period 346-360 A.D., when these were reduced to four under Julian the Apostate and Jovian. In the first issue for Valentinian and Valens this was increased to five and in the second issue to seven. For the rest of the century the number fluctuated between seven and four, but from the early fifth century onwards the officinae did not normally sign their products. In the case of some issues between 383 and 392 the officinae were differentiated for the various rulers. The mint will continue emitting coins throughout the long byzantine period, remaining quite high the coinage volume and its variety. [B]Now it's time to show off. Please present us your favorite examples of Constantinople's coins in your collection ![/B] Jovian [ATTACH=full]1168861[/ATTACH] Constantine The Great [ATTACH=full]1168862[/ATTACH] Constantius II [ATTACH=full]1168863[/ATTACH] Theodosius [ATTACH=full]1168864[/ATTACH] Gallus [ATTACH=full]1168865[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]
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