Father of Christmas Roman Emperor Aurelian 270 AD

Description

When Lucius Domitius Aurelian became Emperor of Rome in 270AD the winter solstice had been celebrated in different cultures for years. The early Norse called it "Yule". The Romans honored Saturnus, the harvest god. When the solstice occurred on December 25, 274AD, Emperor Aurelian made it a holiday as "Natalis Solis Invicti" the festival of the birth of the invincible sun. Though Jesus of Nazareth was believed to have been born in the spring, the Christians adopted this new Roman holiday in order to celebrate Christmas without being detected by the Roman authorities. In 325AD, the Emperor Constantine the Great officially changed the holiday's name to Christmas. The coin is average circulated for the era and is a depiction of Aurelian of the obverse. It is made of bronze with approximately 4% silver according to this source. The coin itself is heavily worn. Thanks, Tom
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