Ancient Roman - AE Bronze -Constantine I - Circa (306-337) CE

Denomination: AE BRONZE

Date: Circa 306-337 CE.

Mint: Constantinople

Description: Obverse: CONSTAN-TINVS AVG, Laureate head right. Reverse: PROVIDEN-TIAE AVGG, Camp-gate with no doors and two turrets, star above, SMALB (or A=S).

History: Constantine the Great (Latin: Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus Augustus. Born on February 27, 272 and died on May 22, 337 CE. He was known as Constantine I or Saint Constantine. Constantine made Christianity the main religion of Rome, and created Constantinople, which became the most powerful city in the world. At the time Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus was proclaimed Caesar, there were five claimants to the throne. But he secured his authority by defeating the competition, and strengthening Roman borders as well as internal administration. Once he became the emperor, Constantine’s subsequent efforts were focused in the west, with the idea of “One empire, one God.” He reportedly had a vision one day in which a cross appeared in the sun, confirming to him that he should carry this image along with the message of Christ to protect his troops through battle. By the Edict of Milan, he recognized Christianity, and also had the army paint the cross on their shields using the Greek letters ‘chi’ and ‘rho’ (X and P) to abbreviate ‘Christ’. In 312 CE Constantine and his men defeated Maxentius at Milvia. He also chose Byzantium as the new capital of the Eastern Roman Empire and named it Constantinople after himself. The fact that ten Byzantine emperors bear his name after his death may be seen as a measure of his importance in history.