Author Topic: Constantine coins with Christian themes  (Read 2213 times)

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Offline Victor

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Constantine coins with Christian themes
« on: August 25, 2012, 03:37:29 PM »
People who expect to find Christian imagery on bronze coins of Constantine will be disappointed. “Of approximately 1,363 coins of Constantine I in RIC VII, covering the period of 313-337, roughly one percent might be classified as having Christian symbols.”  The first instance of Christian symbolism on a coin of Constantine is a chi-rho on a rare silver medallion issued from Ticinum in 315. This medallion was not meant for general circulation, but was most likely a special presentation piece, and as such, not many people would have seen it or its design.  This coin is important, because it shows a clear chi-rho and was issued shortly after A.D. 312, the year Constantine fought the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. Eusebius even stated that Constantine “was in the habit of wearing on his helmet [the chi-rho] at a later period.”

Two quotes about Constantine-

"He was a superstitious man, and mixed up his Christian religion with all kinds of absurb superstitions and opinions." Niebuhr

"The Christianity of Constantine, then, was not wrapped in the glory of the true Christian spirit, but in the darkness of superstition. But to deny the sincerity and urgency of his religous convictions is to make a very grave mistake." A. Alfoldi


VICTORIAE LAETAE PRINC PERP from Siscia that has a chi-rho in the crossbar of Constantine’s helmet (enhanced because it was worn)

Offline Victor

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Re: Constantine coins with Christian themes
« Reply #1 on: August 25, 2012, 03:38:33 PM »
The field marks that have Christian significance consist of chi-rho’s and crosses. “Early Christian crosses came in several forms including the equilateral or Greek +, the letter tau T, the letter chi X sometimes called St. Andrew’s cross, the tau-rho monogram and the Latin cross, crux immissa.” Some historians and numismatists debate whether these symbols actually had any Christian relation. The chi-rho appeared for the first time in the third century B.C. on a Greek bronze of Ptolemy, and certainly could not have referred to Christ. The various field marks on coins usually served an internal function meant to show which workers were responsible for the coin, and the mint supervisor, or procurator monetae,  probably picked these marks. Since Constantine had been portrayed with Christian symbols on a silver medallion issued in 315, "mint supervisors thereafter felt free to use Christian signs as control marks or decorative embellishments on imperial coinage...In doing so, they were reflecting the emperor's veneration of Christian signs and his practice of employing them on his war helmet and military standards."  It is not so important what imagery Constantine used; but rather, it is more important what imagery he did not use. A few scholars believe that the coinage of the time only reflected the dead weight of traditional Roman belief, but the coin motifs actually had changed quite a bit. By 324, Constantine was the sole ruler of the Roman Empire and: "he did all this without attributing his success in any way to correct religio toward the ancient gods. It was in this pointed absence of piety toward the gods, as the traditional guardians of the empire, that his subjects came to realize that their emperor was a Christian." 




Constantinopolis Commemorative
A.D. 336
16mm 2.3gm
Obv. CONSTAN-TINOPOLIS laureate, helmeted, wearing imperial mantle, holding scepter.
Rev. Victory stg. on prow, holding long scepter in r. hand, and resting l. hand on shield.
Chi-Rho in left field, in ex. SCONST
RIC VII Arles 401

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Re: Constantine coins with Christian themes
« Reply #2 on: August 26, 2012, 09:27:23 AM »
Constantine I
A.D. 330-335
16.5mm   2.5gm
CONSTANTI-NVS MAX AVG rosette-diadem, draped, cuirassed
GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS [The glory of the army] Two soldiers helmeted, stg. facing one another, reversed spear in outer hands, inner hands on shields resting on the ground; between them two standards.
In ex. AQP, between the standards is a cross   
RIC VII Aquileia 124



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Re: Constantine coins with Christian themes
« Reply #3 on: August 26, 2012, 10:28:30 AM »
Constantine
A.D. 336
CONSTANTINVS MAX AVG rosette-diadem, draped, cuirassed
GLORIA EXERCITVS [The glory of the army] Two soldiers helmeted, stg. facing one another, reversed spear in outer hands, inner hands on shields resting on the ground; between them one standard inscribed with a Chi-Rho.
in ex. PCONST
RIC VII Arles 394


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Re: Constantine coins with Christian themes
« Reply #4 on: August 29, 2012, 12:40:45 PM »
The "eyes to the heavens coins", which show Constantine with his head raised up and eyes focused upwards, as if he is looking towards heaven. This bust type is not a solely Christian image, as Greeks used this upward gaze on coins long before Constantine; and the Greek engravers likely meant the bust to show an affinity with the gods. Engravers in the fourth century may have even got the idea for the upraised bust after seeing some of these Greek coins.  The “eyes to the heavens” bust type was officially issued in bronze in three reverse types. It was used for VOT XXX, and DAFNE types and some campgate issues. Sometimes this bust type turns up on CONSTANTINOPOLIS and VRBS ROMA coins, but this was probably more artistic license on the part of the engraver, rather than an official design from the mint.  This head uplifted seems to have only been officially engraved by mint personnel from eastern mints, maybe because Constantine was shifting his capitol to Constantinople. Why did mint officials use this bust type? It seems likely that engravers copied this bust from an earlier Greek design, but what, if anything, prompted the use of this type?  Eastern mints began issuing this series circa A.D. 325. Constantine summoned the Council of Nicea in 325 and celebrated his vicennalia (20 year anniversary). Eusebius tells us this type was issued because of the religious conviction of Constantine.
 
How deeply his soul was impressed by the power of divine faith may be understood from the circumstance that he directed his likeness to be stamped on the golden coin of the empire with eyes uplifted as in the posture of prayer to God: and this money became current throughout the Roman world. (Eusebius 4:15)