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Upon his death in 306 AD, Constantius proclaimed that his son, Constantine (ca. 272 – 337 AD), should replace him as Western Augustus. The proposal was enthusiastically supported by the local troops. Meanwhile back in the East, senior Augustus Galerius balked at the unauthorized succession. Eventually, a compromise was reached: Severus II was named Western Augustus, with Constantine relegated to Caesar. This new imperial management team didn’t last long, however, unraveling when Galerius reached into a far more dangerous area: the average Roman’s coin purse. Galerius decided to tax Rome’s citizens, who had previously enjoyed tax-exempt status for centuries. The resulting rebellion saw the Senate and Praetorian Guard promote their own choice for Augustus — Maxentius, son of former Emperor Maximian. When Galerius sent his new Western Augustus to quell the uprising, Maxentius enlisted his father's help, leading to Severus's defeat and demise. Maximian then forged a pact with Constantine, agreeing to govern as co-Augusti and solidifying the deal by marrying his daughter, Fausta, to Constantine. Such shifting, complicated power transitions severely threatened the Empire’s stability.
With the political landscape spiraling out of control, former Emperor Diocletian emerged from retirement in 308 AD to hold an imperial conference. He attempted to reset the board by stripping the Western Augusti of their titles, forcing Maximian to abdicate again, and demoting Constantine back to Western Caesar. The new Western Augustus was Licinius, a man who had never even held the title of Caesar. Maxentius was declared an enemy of the state. Galerius, naturally, retained power as Eastern Augustus and named his nephew Maximinus II as Caesar. Neither Constantine nor Maximian were satisfied with these diminishments and essentially ignored Diocletian's decrees.
Civil war raged for the next several years, reaching a climax in 312 AD when Constantine besieged Maxentius in Rome. On the day of the fateful Battle of the Milvian Bridge, Constantine’s forces reportedly fought under a new banner — the
labarum, displaying the Chi-Rho monogram. Allegedly, the idea came to Constantine the night before in a heavenly vision. Despite having inferior numbers, Constantine defeated and killed Maxentius in an epic confrontation. Entering Rome to immense jubilation, Constantine summarily expunged all images of Maxentius and began promoting himself as the city’s liberator from tyranny.
In the meantime, Galerius died, resulting in Maximinus’s advancement to Augustus. Licinius forged an alliance with Constantine, putting Maximinus at a strategic disadvantage. In response, Maximinus went on the offensive against Licinius but was eventually defeated and removed from the imperial scene. Any hope of a continued Tetrarchy faded away, and the fractured Roman Empire was finally reduced to a diarchy: Constantine in the West and Licinius in the East. The two spent years sparring both diplomatically and militarily. As part of their contentious negotiations it was agreed that: all religions would be tolerated (through the Edict of Milan), the pair would be brothers-in-law (through Licinius' marriage to Constantine's half-sister Constantia), and that Constantine’s sons (Crispus and Constantine II) and Licinius’ son (Licinius II) would all be elevated to Caesars.
It is against this backdrop of fragile, temporary peace that this superb billon nummus was minted at Lugdunum (modern-day Lyon) around 321 – 322 AD. Having thoroughly secured his power, Constantine's obverse legend proudly proclaims his undisputed status: CONSTANTINVS AVG. The reverse features a large globe resting upon an altar, crowned by three prominent stars. The altar is inscribed with VOT / IS / XX in three lines, representing public vows for twenty years of successful imperial rule. Bounding the cosmic imagery is the famous inscription BEATA TRANQVILLITAS, or “Blessed Tranquility.”
This specific type was produced for a relatively short period and only at a select few Western mints. While one might look at the celestial imagery and see a Christian influence, the design actually functions as a brilliant piece of transitional, universal propaganda. The altar and the vota inscriptions were deeply rooted in traditional Roman state religion. However, by substituting overt pagan deities with the neutral globe and stars, Constantine created a message of universal cosmic order that was palatable to both pagans and the growing Christian minority. (For comparison, the reverse of earlier coins in this era — struck while Constantine was still Caesar — often exhibited classic, overtly pagan Roman depictions of Genius).
Ultimately, the imagery on this coin proved deeply ironic. Neither peace nor tranquility was written in the stars. Soon, Constantine and Licinius would clash in a final, devastating showdown to decide the fate of the Roman Empire.
Coin Details: ROMAN EMPIRE, Constantine I, AD 307-337, AE3 (BI Nummus) (2.60g), Struck in Lugdunum (Lyon) in 315-316/321-322 AD, NGC Grade: MS, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 4/5, Obverse: Bust facing right, laureate, wearing a cuirass, CONSTAN-TINVS AVG, Reverse: Globe on altar inscribed VOT/IS/XX in three lines, above, three stars, BEATA TRAN-QVILLITAS, Reference: RIC VII, 153 (or perhaps 199).
Image: Sony ɑ 7R Ⅴ camera / Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS lens.