Descriptions

A nummus of the type that weighed 1/132 of a pound. It is one of 2 similar coins from the Seaton Down Hoard. It was made between AD 337 and AD 340 in Lyon, in modern France and issued by the House of Constantine.

This coin is a commemorative coin issued after the death of Constantine I. It was common to show images of deified emperors after their deaths. The image on the reverse is of Aeterna Pietas and depicts the Emperor standing to the right, holding a globe and spear. Often the image used was a personification of Piety but in Constantine’s case, it seems to be a show of his own piety and dedication to God.

This coin has the Chi-Rho (☧) symbol on the reverse side. This symbol is made using the Greek letters X (chi) and P (rho), which are the first two letters of ‘Christ’ in Greek (XPIΣTOΣ, Christos) and was, and still is, used as an emblem of Christianity. Constantine converted to Christianity after reportedly seeing a vision of the Chi-Rho before the Battle of Milvian Bridge in AD 312 along with the words ‘In this sign thou shalt conquer’. After his success, he went on to sign the Edict of Milan to ensure religious tolerance for Christians and adopted the Chi-Rho in his standards. The Chi-Rho continued to be used by his sons.

This object is on display at RAMM in the Making History gallery.

Inscription

obverse

reverse AETERNA PIETAS AETERNA PIETAS