Constantine The Great

Among the most popular of the ancient Roman coins are those that depict the emperor Constantine I, known as Constantine the Great. Gaius Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus was declared the Emperor Augustus by his troops in the year 306, and was the first ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. In 313, he legalized Christianity with the Edict of Milan, and is highly regarded as the man who Christianized the ancient world.

There is no one single Constantine coin. It was the Roman tradition to strike coins that bore the face of the current Emperor, but there were many coin makers, and each created their own die and designs. Because Constantine reigned for 31 years, there were literally millions of coins minted with his image on them. They ranged so wide in iconography and symbolism that a collector of ancient coins could easily focus on nothing but Constantine coins and still have a wealth of variety in their collection.

In fact, it's quite possible to date coins from Constantine's reign - 306 to 337 - by studying the changes in his iconography and symbols. It only takes a little knowledge of history and personality. Coins struck in the earlier years of Constantine's reign often feature the god Mars on the reverse. Mars, the god of war, had been the symbol of the Tetrarchy, the rule of four that immediately predated Constantine's ascension to Emperor. By invoking Mars in the coins struck with Constantine's image, the government was subtly reinforcing the legitimacy of his rule. From 306 to 313, the leadership of Imperial Rome was in question as numerous military leaders declared themselves Augustus or Caesar. At one point, no less than four men laid claim to the title of Augustus. By 313, through various methods, there remained only one Augustus, Constantine I, and one Caesar, Licinius I.

Around 310, however, Constantine distanced himself from his father's colleague, Maximian, and began to claim legitimate right to the throne of Rome through lineage as a descendant of Marcus Aurelius. At about that time, the symbolism on Roman coins also began to change. Mars was replaced with Apollo, the god of the sun. Marcus Aurelius had claimed the divine protection of Apollo-Sol over his reign, and the new coinage reflected Constantine's new claim.

From about 310 on, the reverse of Constantine coins show Apollo, often with the inscription, SOLO INVICTI COMITI - companion, the unconquered Sol. The earlier coins depict Apollo wearing a flaming halo, similar to that worn by Helios. After 320, Constantine wears a halo as well or instead. Other coins depict Constantine holding a shield on which Apollo is depicted guiding the sun chariot through the sky.

Many Constantine coins from that ear also bear Christian symbols like the chi ro, and one can follow the gradual change from lifelike portraiture in the earlier coins to a far more stylized, symbolic ‘Emperor' figure that is characterized by wide, staring eyes and little facial detail.