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Flavius Julius Crispus (c. 300–326 AD) was the child of Constantine the Great and Minervina. It is unclear whether Minervina was Constantine’s wife or concubine. In any case, Constantine later cast Minervina aside to marry Fausta, daughter of Maximian and sister of Maxentius, as part of a political deal paving the way for his ascension into the imperial inner circle at that time, namely the Tetrarchy. Despite the political nature of his household, Constantine took in Crispus, and by all accounts was a loving, protective father who provided his son with the most accomplished Christian teachers of the time. By 314 AD, rule over the Roman Empire was reduced to an uneasy diarchy, Constantine in the West and Licinius in the East. Two years later, the two co-Augusti arrived at a truce after fighting a first Licinian War, whose concessions included the elevation of Crispus was as Western co-Caesar, along with his infant half-brother Constantine II. Since the latter was only a baby, Crispus assumed the heavy, active duties of Caesar. Crispus was appointed Commander of Gaul, and in subsequent years achieved several massive military victories against the Franks and Alamanni. Returning to Rome in 322 AD, he and his father were received by an adoring crowd. A couple years after that, Constantine once again faced off with his Eastern counterpart in a second Licinian War. This time, Crispus joined his father in campaigning against Licinius to determine the fate of the entire Empire. Crispus successfully led major naval and land battles, even when the odds were vastly against him, paving the way for his father to become the sole Augustus of the Roman world.
This billon nummus was issued in between the two Licinian Wars, circa early 320s AD. The obverse depicts a laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Crispus, declaring him noble Caesar, CRISPVS NOB CAES. On the verso is a laurel wreath, certainly reflecting his military accomplishments, surrounded by the inscription DOMINOR dot NOSTROR dot CAESS, signifying “our Lord Caesars” (the double S denotes that there were co-Caesars, and very similar coins were issued for Constantine II). Within the wreath, the letters VOT X are inscribed, signifying a vow for the Caesar to serve for ten years. As it turned out, Crispus would barely survive his decade's tenure. In 326 AD, Constantine ordered the execution of his triumphant firstborn son, and several months later, his wife Fausta as well. The exact events leading up to this catastrophic bloodbath remain one of history’s darkest mysteries, but the most widely accepted ancient rumor points to a devastating psychological and political trigger: Fausta, jealous of Crispus's overwhelming popularity and desiring the throne for her own children, falsely accused her stepson of attempted rape. To understand why Constantine reacted with such apocalyptic, ballistic violence, one must look at his political agenda. In that exact same year, 326 AD, Constantine had just enacted shockingly severe, draconian laws regarding sexual morality, adultery, and rape. Punishments for sexual transgressions were escalated to grotesque public executions. Therefore, Fausta’s accusation was not merely a family betrayal; it was a catastrophic political humiliation that made a complete mockery of Constantine's strict new moral order. Furthermore, Crispus was a wildly popular, victorious general with the loyalty of the army — the exact profile of a potential usurper. Blinded by political paranoia, terrified of a coup, and desperate to prove he was not a hypocrite regarding his own laws, the enraged Emperor ordered his son's immediate execution. When Constantine later discovered (reportedly through the relentless investigation of his own mother, Helena) that Fausta had lied, his revenge was equally savage. He had his deceitful wife locked in an overheated bathhouse until she suffocated. Following the murders, Constantine invoked a ruthless
damnatio memoriae to erase all physical evidence of Fausta and Crispus from the face of the Earth. Coins that escaped erasure, like this one, shed light on the dark dissonance shadowing the Constantinian dynasty.
Coin Details: ROMAN EMPIRE, Crispus, as Caesar 316-326 AD, Æ3 (BI Nummus) (2.63 g), Minted 320-321 AD at Ticinum, NGC Grade: MS, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 4/5, Obverse: laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, CRISPVS NOB CAES (no break), Reverse: DOMINOR dot NOSTROR dot CAESS around laurel wreath enclosing VOT /dot/X, TT in exergue (note the certification incorrectly lists campgate for the verso), Reference: RIC VII 155.
Image: Sony ɑ 7R Ⅴ camera / Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS lens.