This coin is part of the series issued in Constantinople to commemorate the victory over Licinius in the second civil war.
“Four entirely new types were created for Constantine, GLORIA EXERCITVS, GLORIA ROMANORVM, LIBERTAS PVBLICA, and SPES PVBLIC…Here the reverses record a summing up of the Civil War II, the glory of the army constituting the glory of the Empire, the death of the tyrant (SPES PVBLIC) granting liberty for all.†RIC VII pg 567.
These coins were also issued to pay workers building the new city of Constantinople.
This coin, and the others in the series, show the transition from the laurel headdress to the diadem. The laureate examples of each of the four types are rarer than their diademed counterpart.
Constantine I
A.D. 327
18x19mm 3.0gm
CONSTANTI-NVS MAX AVG; laureate head right.
GLORIA EXERCITVS; Soldier holding reversed spear in right, left hand on shield; Γ in left field.
in ex. CONS
RIC VII Constantinople 16
