-40%

CONSTANTINE Veiled, Shrouded, Deified Reaches to God's Hand, 6 Roman Coins Lot

$ 2.63

Availability: 100 in stock
  • Modified Item: No
  • All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
  • Composition: Ancient 4th century Roman Bronze
  • Culture: Roman Imperial
  • Refund will be given as: Money Back
  • Date: after 337 A.D.
  • Item must be returned within: 30 Days
  • Material: Imperial Roman Bronze
  • Ancient Coins: Roman Coins
  • Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
  • Grade: Ungraded
  • Ruler: Constantine I
  • Denomination: Follis

    Description

    Constantinian Dynasty
    Constantine I
    had four sons whom he originally designated as Caesars.
    His first wife,
    Minervina
    , bore him his eldest son named
    Crispus
    . He was made Caesar while his three half-brothers (whose mother was
    Fausta
    ) were very young.
    Constantine
    had Crispus killed for reasons that are unclear today, but it is strongly suspected that his second wife, Fausta, had something to do with it so that her sons could move ahead of
    Crispus
    into the position of Emperor.  Subsequently,
    Constantine's
    remaining sons,
    Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans
    , each became a Roman Emperor after disposing of most of the cousins.
    CONSTANTINE I (the Great), Roman Emperor 309-337 A.D.
    Constantine the Great
    is known as the father of the Constantinian Dynasty. He is known as the first emperor to convert to Christianity.  Constantine had a part in issuing the Edict of Milan which proclaimed religious tolerance for all religions across the empire. Constantine was a very successful general starting with his defeat of two other emperors, Maxentius and Licinius, during civil wars.  He then led successful campaigns against the Franks, Alamanni, Visigoths, and Sarmatians during his reign.  He built a new imperial residence in the ancient city of Byzantium, renaming it Constantinople.  This city would later be the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire for over 1000 years.  As a result, Constantine was also known as the founder of the Eastern Roman Empire.  Little is really known about Constantine's conversion to Christianity.  It was his sons who used Christian iconography on some of their coins.  There are two well-known stories about his vision of the cross in the sky before a big battle (starting the tradition of the use of the chi-rho symbol in military, state and religious events) and his deathbed baptism.
    CONSTANTINE the GREAT COMMEMORATIVES
    Constantine's sons (Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans) minted several commemorative coins after his death. These postmortem commemorative coins celebrate the deification of Constantine, that is, the elevation of him to the status of a god by the Roman Senate. From our standpoint in the 21st century, this seems like an unlikely tribute for someone responsible for adopting Christianity as the official religion of Rome.  Old habits die hard in any era.
    Here are 6 commemorative coins minted by Constantius II and his brothers after the death of their father, Constantine the Great.  Constantine was Caesar from 306 to 307 AD, Augustus in the west from 307 to 337, and Filius Augustorum in the east from 309-10.  These postmortem commemorative coins celebrate the deification of Constantine, that is, the elevation of him to the status of a god by the Roman Senate. From our standpoint in the 21st century, this seems like an unlikely tribute for someone responsible for adopting Christianity as the official religion of Rome.  Old habits die hard in any era.
    VN - MR
    Venerabilis Memoriam
    On this reverse, the veiled Constantine stands in his shroud clasping his hand to his breast. The legend
    VNMR
    across the field
    is the abbreviation for
    Venerabilis Memoriam
    ("Venerable Memory").
    Veiled Emperor Reaches
    Constantine's sons (Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans) minted several commemorative coins after his death.
    Here is a Roman coin that commemorated his death. The coin
    celebrated the deification of Constantine, that is, the elevation of him to the status of a god by the Roman Senate.  From our standpoint, in the 21st century, this seems like an unlikely tribute for someone responsible for adopting Christianity as the official religion of Rome.  Old habits die hard in any era.  This coin's reverse depicts the Emperor riding up into the sky on a quadriga (four-horse chariot) reaching up his hand to the Hand of God above him.  Roman tradition called for the dead Emperor to ride up to the heavens in some combination of quadriga and/or wings of an eagle.  In fact, while the Emperor's body was burning on its funeral pyre, a hidden priest would often release an eagle for the worshippers' benefit.
    DIVUS CONSTANTINE I DIVO posthumous, AE4   (12-17 mm, 7.27 gm total)
    OBV:
    DV CONSTANTI-NVS PT AVGG, veiled bust right    (4 coins)
    REV:
    VN MR, Constantine, veiled, standing right, clasping hands at breast
    OBV:
    DV CONSTANTI-NVS PT AVGG, veiled bust right   (2 coins)
    REV:
    Constantine, veiled, in quadriga right, the hand of God reaches down to him
    As usual, the pictures really don't do justice. Let me know if you have questions.
    Absolute Guarantee of Authenticity
    I have collected Roman coins for many years and have always bought coins from trusted, reputable dealers. The coins I sell are ancient currency minted under the authority of the Roman Empire.  The details I describe (emperor, location, legends, etc) are derived from well-known and certified attribution sources.  The descriptions are guaranteed accurate as much as the condition of the coin allows.  This
    Guarantee of Authenticity
    does not make any claim or estimate of the value or grades of the coin(s).
    ALL OF MY ITEMS COME WITH A GUARANTEE OF SATISFACTION , IF ANY ITEM IS NOT AS DESCRIBED IT CAN BE RETURNED IN ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION FOR A REFUND OF THE PURCHASE PRICE.
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    charge of .00
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