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In 330 AD, Constantine the Great celebrated a gargantuan milestone: the dedication of his new Eastern imperial capital, Constantinople. Building this magnificent city and luring the Roman elite to relocate required enormous wealth, logistical mastery, and the immediate establishment of the Empire's largest mint. To broadcast his new world order, Constantine executed a numismatic overhaul unparalleled in Roman history. He abruptly halted the production of all existing bronze currency across the Empire, replacing it with a massive, strictly controlled propaganda campaign designed to visually enforce the absolute equality of his two capitals.
This unprecedented campaign materialized as a carefully paired series of commemorative coins that stunned the public by completely omitting the Emperor's portrait. Instead, production was split exactly in half between two distinct types representing the divine personifications of the cities. The VRBS ROMA issue featured Roma on one side and the ancient she-wolf on the other to reassure the West of its enduring mythological legacy, while the Constantinopolis issues featured Tyche/Constantinopolis on one side and a winged Victory on a ship's prow on the other to celebrate the triumph that secured Constantine's absolute power. Both of these standard city commemorative issues were struck at all the Empire's mints, using the same basic design; Constantine wanted everyone across the Empire to know that his new Eastern capital was the absolute equal to the ancient heart of Rome, and that both cities were fully united under his unconquered rule.
Upon Constantine's death in 337 AD, however, the Empire's unity was suddenly back in jeopardy. The Roman world experienced a state of sudden, tense uncertainty as Constantine's three sons violently purged rivals to consolidate their shared power. During this volatile transitional period, the imperial mints desperately needed to project unwavering stability. To achieve this, a series of new commemorative coins were issued featuring strategic modifications to the established designs. This piece provides one such historically important example.
The obverse of this coin is virtually identical to the standard Constantinopolis city commemorative that had been struck all across the Empire. The reverse, however, is where the crucial modification can be found. Like the standard issue, the central motif features a winged Victory perched upon the prow of a ship. Yet, while the reverse of the standard issue was completely anepigraphic (free of any text or inscriptions), here Victory is surrounded by a bold, explicit legend: VICTO-RIA AVG (Victory of the Augustus). Below Victory in the exergue are the letters RЄ, confirming that this specific tribute to the new Eastern capital was ironically struck in the fifth
officina (workshop) of the ancient Rome mint.
It is also important to note that Victory's symbolic accoutrements have been deliberately updated. Instead of the martial scepter and shield seen on the standard Constantinopolis design, this rebooted version of Victory holds a wreath and a palm branch. Overall, this imagery projects an aura of calm, triumphant prosperity. It was a calculated propaganda piece designed to assuage an anxious populace, visually promising that the late Emperor's descendants would rule in harmony and bring continued peace to the people. However, as the coins on the next Gallery Page vividly demonstrate, that promised peace proved tragically short-lived.
Additional Reading: "Coins and Medallions struck for the Inauguration of Constantinopolis 11 May 330," L. Ranskold, June 2010, Conference: Niš & Byzantium, Volume IX.
Coin Details: ROMAN EMPIRE, Constantinian, City Commemorative, Rome mint?, circa 337-340 AD, BI nummus (17 mm. 2.11 grams), NGC Grade; VF, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 2/5, Obverse: Bust of Constantinopolis, laureate with crested helmet, wearing ornamental mantle and necklace, sceptre over left shoulder, left, CONSTANTINOPOLIS, Reverse: Victory, winged, draped, standing left, right foot on prow, holding wreath in right hand and palm in left hand, VICTO-RIA AVG, [RE] in exergue, References: RIC VIIII Rome 20, 31, 42 officina E only; Failmezger 387.
Image: NGC Photo Vision Plus.