Crusty Commemorative - Constantine The Great founds Constantinople

[thenickelguy]

 

Obverse : Constantinopolis
Constantine The Great founds Constantinople
City Commemorative type
Reverse: Victory on prow

CONSTANTINOPOLIS, a very common Roman coin type. Under the Roman emperor Constantine the Great, who ruled 307-337 AD

The obverse on this coin is a bust of Constantinopolis so it's a metaphor.
The Victory-on-prow reverse commemorates a naval victory led by Crispus, which aided in securing the city of Byzantium, which would be remade into Constantinople. It would continue on as the center of the Byzantine Empire.

Looks like bat wings on Victory. I have learned that a "Prow" is the very forward part of a ship.

[Roman Collector]

I really like these cent-sized commemoratives. I have been working on a mint set of them and have about a dozen different ones. Here's one from Constantinople itself!

[Orange Julius]

I like these too! Here’s a fun one from Alexandria.

[ambr0zie]

Here's one from Siscia

[Heliodromus]

10 hours ago, thenickelguy said:

I have learned that a "Prow" is the very forward part of a ship.

Yes, used here presumably because there wasn't enough room on a small coin like this to show the whole ship, which we do however see on a medallion version (RIC VII Rome 301) of the same basic type:

The prow was also a symbolically important part of the ship since it included the bronze "rostrum" ramming head that would be used to try to punch holes in enemy ships. The rostrum gives it's name to the rostral column, decorated with prows/rostra, which were sometimes used to commemorate naval victories.

Edited June 15, 2022 by Heliodromus
fixed puntuation

[Spaniard]

Just picked up this one, thought I'd add it here...This is my first of this type, could someone just check my attribution please?

Commemorative Series. 330-354 AD. AE Follis (2.03 gm, 16mm). Trier mint. Struck 330/1 AD.

Obv.: CONSTAN-TINOPOLIS, mantled bust of Constantinopolis left wearing laureate crested helmet and holding sceptre over shoulder.

Rev.: Victory standing facing, head left, in prow of galley holding sceptre and resting on shield; TRP dot;.

RIC#530 P ; LRBC 59. Sear 16444 (aEF.)

 

[shanxi]

On 6/15/2022 at 6:18 AM, thenickelguy said:

I have learned that a "Prow" is the very forward part of a ship.

A prow relief in the Vatican Museum

[ambr0zie]

33 minutes ago, Spaniard said:

Just picked up this one, thought I'd add it here...This is my first of this type, could someone just check my attribution please?

Commemorative Series. 330-354 AD. AE Follis (2.03 gm, 16mm). Trier mint. Struck 330/1 AD.

Obv.: CONSTAN-TINOPOLIS, mantled bust of Constantinopolis left wearing laureate crested helmet and holding sceptre over shoulder.

Rev.: Victory standing facing, head left, in prow of galley holding sceptre and resting on shield; TRP dot;.

RIC#530 P ; LRBC 59. Sear 16444 (aEF.)

 

33 minutes ago, Spaniard said:

 

Correct. Similar: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=9626401

[Spaniard]

@ambr0zie...Thanks...The only thing that confuses me is spear or sceptre?...

[ambr0zie]

I would say sceptre. But checked this type, some mention it as spear, others as sceptre.

[shanxi]

5 minutes ago, ambr0zie said:

I would say sceptre. But checked this type, some mention it as spear, others as sceptre.

OCRE say "reversed spear"

https://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.7.tri.530

 

And this is the problem. How do you want to distinguish a spear from a sceptre if you can't see the tip. 

[John Conduitt]

15 minutes ago, Spaniard said:

@ambr0zie...Thanks...The only thing that confuses me is spear or sceptre?...

These are usually interchangeable

[Spaniard]

Thanks everyone...The more I check the more, as John said, interchangeable these nouns are..

I'm just going to use the word "stick" 😉

[Jims,Coins]

Bronze coin (AE 3/4) minted at Constantinople during the reign of Constantine I, The Great between 330 - 346 A.D. Commemorative Issue. CONSTANTINOPOLIS. Obv. Helmeted bust of Constantinopolis l., wearing imperial mantle & holding sceptre. Rev. No legend Victory standing l., r. foot on prow holding sceptre & leaning on shield. RCS #3890. RICVIII #32. DVM #1.

 

[Spaniard]

Just picked up this one...

City Commemorative. 330-354 AD. AE Follis (2.40 gm, 17mm). Antioch mint. Struck 330-335 AD.
Obv.: VRBS ROMA, helmeted head of Roma left, wearing imperial mantle and ornamental necklace.
Rev.: she-wolf standing left, suckling Romulus and Remus, two stars above; SMANZ in exergue. RIC#91.

Here's a great site for those interested...Paul
http://www.constantinethegreatcoins.com/comm/