CONSTANTINOPOLIS coins

[Victor]

The victory on a prow type alludes to the naval victory of Crispus and his subsequent capture of Byzantium (soon to be re-named Constantinople). Zosimus said that Constantine's fleet had 200 ships and Licinius had 350 ships. Zosimus might have exaggerated, but all sources agreed that Constantine's fleet was greatly outnumbered. What accounted for the surprise victory of Constantine's forces? Could it have been that Constantine had better trained sailors...maybe divine providence? A papyrus letter from circa A.D. 323, gives an answer. (C. H. Roberts, “A Footnote to the Civil War of A.D. 324.” Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 31 (1945) : 113.) The letter is from a procurator who said that the government of Egypt had an urgent requirement of box and acanthus wood for repair of the men-at-war vessels in the arsenals of Memphis and Babylon. Egypt sent a total of 130 ships to serve in the navy of Licinius, but it seems that they were all old tubs!

http://www.constantinethegreatcoins.com/comm/


Thirteen mints produced these types: Trier, Lugdunum (Lyons), Arelate (Arles), Aquileia, Rome, Siscia, Thessalonica, Heraclea, Constantinople, Nicomedia, Cyzicus, Antioch and Alexandria.

The mints of Heraclea, Constantinople, Nicomedia and Cyzicus which surrounded the Propontis (the Sea of Marmara) dropped the S from the obverse legend. This is a regional variation and "reflects the fall of the terminal -s in the spoken language." ( J. P. C. Kent,   â€œUrbs Roma and Constantinopolis: Medallions at the Mint of Rome.” Scripta Nummaria Roman. Essays Presented to Humphrey Sutherland. London: Spink & Son (1978) : 106.) The obverse legend break for all the mints is always CONSTAN-TINOPOLIS except for coins from Rome and one issue from Aquileia (see coin below), which used the legend break  CONSTANTI-NOPOLIS .


Palladas, a fourth-century pagan poet, wrote mockingly about the city of Constantinople and coins with Victories on the prow --


"Here we are, the Victories, the laughing maidens, bearing victories to the Christ-loving city. Those who loved the city fashioned us, stamping figures appropriate to the victories." (Anth. Plan. 282)


A.D. 335-336
18mm    2.7 gm
Obv. CONSTANTI-NOPOLIS laureate, helmeted, wearing imperial mantle, holding scepter.
Rev. Victory stg. on prow, holding long scepter in r. hand, and resting l. hand on shield.
F left field, in ex. AQS
RIC VII  Aquileia 137   

[Victor]

Here is one with an eyes to the heavens bust

A.D. 332-3
18mm      2.1gm
Obv. CONSTAN-TINOPOLIS laureate, helmeted, wearing imperial mantle, holding scepter.
Rev. Victory stg. on prow, holding long scepter in r. hand, and resting l. hand on shield.
in ex.  TRP star
RIC VII Trier 548 c3

[Victor]

On some examples from Rome, the prow of the ship appears to be going towards Victory...the engraver did not seem to understand what he was engraving.


A.D. 330-1
17x16mm 2gm
Obv. CONSTANTI-NOPOLIS laureate, helmeted, wearing imperial mantle, holding cross- scepter with a globe.
Rev. Victory stg. on prow, holding long scepter in r. hand, and resting l. hand on shield.
in exergue R B epsilon     RIC VII Rome 339
RB in the exergue likely stands for Roma Beata (Blessed Rome)

[Victor]

and one with a Chi-Rho--

A.D. 336
16mm 2.3gm
Obv. CONSTAN-TINOPOLIS laureate, helmeted, wearing imperial mantle, holding scepter.
Rev. Victory stg. on prow, holding long scepter in r. hand, and resting l. hand on shield.
Chi-Rho in left field, in ex. SCONST
RIC VII Arles 401 r3

[Victor]

here's one with an X in the left field

Constantinopolis Commemorative
A.D. 337- 340
14mm  1.5gm
Obv. CONSTAN-TINOPOLIS,  laureate and crested helmet, necklace and ornamental mantle over left shoulder, holding sceptre
Rev. Victory stg. on prow, holding long scepter in r. hand, and resting l. hand on shield.
in ex. PCONST  in left field X
RIC VIII Arles 26

[Victor]

Here's a medallion-

[Victor]

I just got this one with a star on the reverse

Constantinopolis Commemorative
A.D. 330
18mm 2.6 gm
Obv. CONSTAN-TINOPOLIS laureate, helmeted, wearing imperial mantle, holding scepter.
Rev. Victory stg. on prow, holding long scepter in r. hand, and resting l. hand on shield.
star in left field, in ex. PCONST
RIC VII Arles 352

[Victor]

I just got a new one with a nice Chi-Rho.  This is one of a handful of coins with a Chi-Rho that was actually minted during the lifetime of Constantine.

A.D. 336
16mm 2.3gm
Obv. CONSTAN-TINOPOLIS laureate, helmeted, wearing imperial mantle, holding scepter.
Rev. Victory stg. on prow, holding long scepter in r. hand, and resting l. hand on shield.
Chi-Rho in left field, in ex. SCONST
RIC VII Arles 401 r3

[Victor]

Not a Victory on a prow reverse, but it is a Constantinopolis obverse. This is a pretty nice example of this type.

Constantinopolis
A.D. 333-4
16.5mm  2.0gm
Obv. CONSTAN-TINOPOLI - laureate, helmeted, wearing imperial mantle, holding reversed spear.
Rev. GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS -[Glory of the Army] Two soldiers helmeted, stg. facing one another, reversed spear in outer hands, inner hands on shields resting on ground; between them one standard.
In ex. SMH gamma
RIC VII Heraclea 157

[Victor]

I just posted this one in COTD, but wanted to put it in this thread also. It is a rare example of the eyes to heaven bust.


Constantinopolis Commemorative
A.D. 334-5
17mm     2.0gm
Obv. CONSTAN-TINOPOLIS laureate, helmeted bust looking up to Heaven, wearing imperial mantle, holding scepter.
Rev. Victory stg. on prow, holding long scepter in r. hand, and resting l. hand on shield.
in ex. dot BSIS dot
RIC VII Siscia 241

[livingwater]

This is an old post but I thought I'd add another coin.  I bought this one on ebay six to eight years ago.  It was lost in the mail never found.    It's in poor condition, Constantinopolis with reverse soldiers chi-rho standard.  I assume it's rather rare and a version of RIC VIII 32 of Constantinople.  But it could have been struck in Arles too?  I'd like to find another one of these someday. 

[Victor]

But it could have been struck in Arles too?   

I don't think that any of these were struck in Western mints. A clue that this was struck in an Eastern mint is the spelling of the obverse legend which leaves off the terminal S-- CONSTANTINOPOLI. The mints of Heraclea, Constantinople, Nicomedia and Cyzicus which surrounded the Propontis (the Sea of Marmara) dropped the S from the obverse legend. This is a regional variation and "reflects the fall of the terminal -s in the spoken language."

[livingwater]

Okay, thanks Victor, as always you know your stuff!  Mark