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Roman Bronze Coin of Constantine I "The Great" - Manus Dei Issue (about 1,685-1,688 years ago)

from $39.02
sale

This bronze coin is a posthumous issue commemorating Emperor Constantine I "The Great" minted shortly after his death in 337 CE. The distinctive "Manus Dei" (Hand of God) design represents the Christian symbolism that became increasingly prominent on Roman coinage following Constantine's embrace of Christianity, showing his deified hand or his soul being taken to heaven by the hand of God.

Coin Description:

  • Front side: Veiled portrait of Constantine I facing right, depicting him in a posthumous, deified state, with his name and imperial titles in Latin around the edge.

  • Back side: Features the "Manus Dei" design showing a hand reaching down from heaven, likely with Constantine in a chariot ascending to heaven or being welcomed into heaven, symbolizing his apotheosis.

Technical Details:

  • Bronze alloy composition

  • Denomination: Likely an AE3 or AE4 small bronze coin

  • Weight: Approximately 1.5-3 grams

  • Diameter: Approximately 15-20 mm

  • NGC Certified for authentication and preservation

  • Minted between 337-340 CE (posthumous issue)

  • Condition as specified by NGC certification

Historical Significance: This posthumous issue honors Constantine I, arguably the most transformative emperor in Roman history. His legalization of Christianity through the Edict of Milan (313 CE) fundamentally altered the religious landscape of the Western world. By establishing Constantinople (modern Istanbul, Turkey) as a new imperial capital, he created the foundation for what would become the Byzantine Empire, which would survive for another thousand years. This "Manus Dei" coin design represents a fascinating blend of traditional Roman imperial apotheosis (deification of emperors) with emerging Christian symbolism, reflecting the transitional religious period during which the Roman Empire gradually transformed from a pagan to a Christian state.

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This bronze coin is a posthumous issue commemorating Emperor Constantine I "The Great" minted shortly after his death in 337 CE. The distinctive "Manus Dei" (Hand of God) design represents the Christian symbolism that became increasingly prominent on Roman coinage following Constantine's embrace of Christianity, showing his deified hand or his soul being taken to heaven by the hand of God.

Coin Description:

  • Front side: Veiled portrait of Constantine I facing right, depicting him in a posthumous, deified state, with his name and imperial titles in Latin around the edge.

  • Back side: Features the "Manus Dei" design showing a hand reaching down from heaven, likely with Constantine in a chariot ascending to heaven or being welcomed into heaven, symbolizing his apotheosis.

Technical Details:

  • Bronze alloy composition

  • Denomination: Likely an AE3 or AE4 small bronze coin

  • Weight: Approximately 1.5-3 grams

  • Diameter: Approximately 15-20 mm

  • NGC Certified for authentication and preservation

  • Minted between 337-340 CE (posthumous issue)

  • Condition as specified by NGC certification

Historical Significance: This posthumous issue honors Constantine I, arguably the most transformative emperor in Roman history. His legalization of Christianity through the Edict of Milan (313 CE) fundamentally altered the religious landscape of the Western world. By establishing Constantinople (modern Istanbul, Turkey) as a new imperial capital, he created the foundation for what would become the Byzantine Empire, which would survive for another thousand years. This "Manus Dei" coin design represents a fascinating blend of traditional Roman imperial apotheosis (deification of emperors) with emerging Christian symbolism, reflecting the transitional religious period during which the Roman Empire gradually transformed from a pagan to a Christian state.

This bronze coin is a posthumous issue commemorating Emperor Constantine I "The Great" minted shortly after his death in 337 CE. The distinctive "Manus Dei" (Hand of God) design represents the Christian symbolism that became increasingly prominent on Roman coinage following Constantine's embrace of Christianity, showing his deified hand or his soul being taken to heaven by the hand of God.

Coin Description:

  • Front side: Veiled portrait of Constantine I facing right, depicting him in a posthumous, deified state, with his name and imperial titles in Latin around the edge.

  • Back side: Features the "Manus Dei" design showing a hand reaching down from heaven, likely with Constantine in a chariot ascending to heaven or being welcomed into heaven, symbolizing his apotheosis.

Technical Details:

  • Bronze alloy composition

  • Denomination: Likely an AE3 or AE4 small bronze coin

  • Weight: Approximately 1.5-3 grams

  • Diameter: Approximately 15-20 mm

  • NGC Certified for authentication and preservation

  • Minted between 337-340 CE (posthumous issue)

  • Condition as specified by NGC certification

Historical Significance: This posthumous issue honors Constantine I, arguably the most transformative emperor in Roman history. His legalization of Christianity through the Edict of Milan (313 CE) fundamentally altered the religious landscape of the Western world. By establishing Constantinople (modern Istanbul, Turkey) as a new imperial capital, he created the foundation for what would become the Byzantine Empire, which would survive for another thousand years. This "Manus Dei" coin design represents a fascinating blend of traditional Roman imperial apotheosis (deification of emperors) with emerging Christian symbolism, reflecting the transitional religious period during which the Roman Empire gradually transformed from a pagan to a Christian state.

Constantine I[g] (Latin: Flavius Valerius Constantinus; 27 February c. 272 – 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was a Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337 and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity.[h] He played a pivotal role in elevating the status of Christianity in Rome, decriminalizing Christian practice and ceasing Christian persecution. This was a turning point in the Christianization of the Roman Empire. He founded the city of Constantinople and made it the capital of the Empire, which it remained for over a millennium.

Born in Naissus, in Dardania within Moesia Superior (now Niš, Serbia), Constantine was the son of Flavius Constantius, a Roman army officer of Illyrian origin who would become one of the four emperors of the Tetrarchy. His mother, Helena, was a woman of low birth, probably from Asia Minor in modern Turkey. Later canonised as a saint, she is credited for the conversion of her son in some traditions, though others believe that Constantine converted her. Constantine served with distinction under the Roman emperors Diocletian and Galerius. He began his career by campaigning in the eastern provinces (against the Persians) before being recalled in the west (in AD 305) to fight alongside his father in the province of Britannia. After his father's death in 306, Constantine was proclaimed as augustus (emperor) by his army at Eboracum (York, England). He eventually emerged victorious in the civil wars against emperors Maxentius and Licinius to become the sole ruler of the Roman Empire by 324.

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