Seaton Down Hoard coin, nummus fraction Populus Romanus type (coin)
Descriptions
A nummus fraction, which was a smaller and lower denomination coin than the nummus. It was made around AD 330-335 in Constantinople (now Istanbul), modern Turkey, and issued by Constantine I.
This coin was made to commemorate the establishment of the city of Constantinople. One side depicts the Genius Populi Romani (the Spirit of the Roman People) and the other depicts a bridge over a river. It may be that this bridge is representative of the Milvian Bridge that crosses the Tiber, the namesake of a big victory for Constantine I. It is said that before the battle, he saw the words ‘In Hoc Signo Victor Eris’ (By This Sign You Shall Conquer) on the sun surrounding a Chi Rho ligature (a Christian symbol made from the Greek letters Chi and Rho rather like an X over a P). Constantine saw this as a sign and put the symbol of Christ on his army’s shields and was victorious. Constantine went on to make Christianity both acceptable and popular across the empire.
This object is on display at RAMM in the Making History gallery.
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