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By the late 340s AD, the Roman Empire was gearing up for a staggering, once-in-a-lifetime milestone: the 1100th anniversary of the founding of Rome. While Constantine had successfully established Constantinople as the new center of gravity in the East, his surviving sons, Constantius II and Constans, recognized the immense political power of Rome's enduring legacy. To this end, in honor of the Eternal City's 1100th birthday in 348 AD, the sons of Constantine initiated sweeping coinage reforms.
Leading up to this massive anniversary overhaul, the mints revived the beloved VRBS ROMA and Constantinopolis city commemorative themes that Constantine had introduced nearly two decades earlier. However, while these new issues retained similar obverse designs, the reverses featured a dramatic departure from tradition, such as offering votive pledges instead of depicting the traditional she-wolf and twins motif.
This coin provides yet another fascinating example of a next-generation Constantinian city commemorative. Unlike previous city commemoratives issued by Constantine that featured a helmeted and mantled bust of Tyche/Constantinopolis facing to the left, this issue struck by Constantius II and Constans breaks with tradition, depicting a right-facing, diademed, and mantled version of the new capital city's personification. The figure's identity is confirmed from the conserved epithet CONSTANTINOPOLIS. The update to the reverse design was even more radical. Instead of Victory standing on the prow of a ship with a spear and a shield, the reverse of this coin features Pax, the goddess of peace, holding a branch and a scepter. Flanking the divine figure are the large, bold letters P - R. This abbreviation stands for
Populus Romanus (the Roman People). Although the reverse here is devoid of any mintmark in the exergue, modern numismatic scholarship strongly suggest that, despite the declaration CONSTANTINOPOLIS on the obverse, this coin was actually struck at Rome.
The update to the reverse on this coin was highly intentional. The switch from Victory to Pax, and the exchange of martial accoutrements like the spear and shield for the olive branch and scepter, projected an aura of peaceful, unified leadership. Struck in the ancient capital, it served as a direct pledge to the
Populus Romanus that Constantius II and Constans would successfully steer the two halves of the realm into a harmonious future. However, as the coins on the next Gallery Page will vividly demonstrate, that promised peace proved tragically short-lived for Constans.
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, Commemorative series, Ae (1.85 g, 16 mm), Rome (Constantinople?), NGC Grade: Ch. XF, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 2/5, Obverse: Diademed and mantled bust of Constantinopolis right, CONSTAN-TINOPOLIS, Reverse: Pax standing left, holding branch and scepter; P - R across field, Reference: RIC 106
Image: NGC Photo Vision Plus.