Twin City Goddesses – Roma and Constantinopolis
This album features authentic commemorative bronze coins of Constantine the Great (AD 306–337), struck to celebrate the two capitals of the Roman world: Rome and Constantinople.
Historical Significance:
When Constantine refounded Byzantium as Constantinople in AD 330, he transformed it into the “New Rome,” a capital to rival the Eternal City itself. To mark this monumental event, special commemorative coins were issued bearing the personifications of both cities:
Roma – shown as a helmeted goddess, symbolizing the ancient power and martial spirit of the empire’s first capital.
Constantinopolis – portrayed as a new goddess, often with a helmet and scepter, embodying the rising prestige of the eastern capital.
These twin city coins symbolized the unity of past and future: Rome, the eternal heart of empire, and Constantinople, the brilliant new center of political and cultural power. They also reflect Constantine’s vision of a Christian empire with two great capitals bridging East and West.
Owning these coins is to hold a piece of the ceremony that celebrated Rome’s legacy and Constantinople’s foundation—a turning point that reshaped the empire and the course of European history.
Twin City Goddesses – Roma and Constantinopolis
This album features authentic commemorative bronze coins of Constantine the Great (AD 306–337), struck to celebrate the two capitals of the Roman world: Rome and Constantinople.
Historical Significance:
When Constantine refounded Byzantium as Constantinople in AD 330, he transformed it into the “New Rome,” a capital to rival the Eternal City itself. To mark this monumental event, special commemorative coins were issued bearing the personifications of both cities:
Roma – shown as a helmeted goddess, symbolizing the ancient power and martial spirit of the empire’s first capital.
Constantinopolis – portrayed as a new goddess, often with a helmet and scepter, embodying the rising prestige of the eastern capital.
These twin city coins symbolized the unity of past and future: Rome, the eternal heart of empire, and Constantinople, the brilliant new center of political and cultural power. They also reflect Constantine’s vision of a Christian empire with two great capitals bridging East and West.
Owning these coins is to hold a piece of the ceremony that celebrated Rome’s legacy and Constantinople’s foundation—a turning point that reshaped the empire and the course of European history.
