Constantine I, 307/310-337. Follis (Bronze, 18 mm, 2.64 g, 12 h), Rome, late 328-early 329. Laurel-and-rosette-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Constantine I to right. Rev. CONSTAN/TINVS / AVG / SMRS in four lines; above, laurel wreath. RIC 281. A lovely coin, well struck and with a superb portrait. Very light deposits, otherwise, extremely fine.


This emission was dated by Bruun to 326, but the discovery of the dynastic SMRA emission, unquestionably dated to July 326, led Ramskold (Constantine's vicennalia (2013), p. 429-432) to redate it to 328/329. This date is based on details in the bust and the diadem, which align most closely with the 'VOT / XXX' types RIC VII 320 and 322, dated by Bruun in RIC VII to 329, a date corroborated by Ramskold. Of the entries in RIC VII for the dynastic bronzes, it should be noted that RIC 283 and 286 refer to contemporary imitations and that RIC 285 is the BM example from the actual 326 emission from Rome. The 328/329 emission of Rome is the second largest of the dynastic bronze emissions after Antioch, with 263 examples known today. Each officina had a similar output which indicates that all four officinae worked exclusively on this emission for some time (officina P: 55 examples; officina S: 65 examples; officina T: 66 examples; officina Q: 77 examples).

Ramskold has suggested that the emission was struck in connection with the burial of Helena, and that Constantine may have been in Rome for the occasion. The Rome mint had not produced coins since 326, and the following scenario is plausible, although ultimately unprovable. Ancient sources say that when Helena died, Constantine was with her. Her mausoleum in Rome was already prepared, and Constantine likely sent orders to open the mint and start striking coins of the current 'VOT / XXX' type. The mint had no recent models for how to present the emperor, however, so they used the previous style showing a laureate head. When Constantine arrived, the current image with a rosette diadem was presented to the mint, and the laureate type was replaced with the diademed one, first for the dynastic emission, and then for a continued 'VOT / XXX' emission. The reason for such a large dynastic emission is simple: at this time Rome had a population of perhaps half a million people and we can be certain that the burial of Helena was a perfect event for distributing these pieces to as many spectators as possible. One could say today that owning one of these pieces is owning a memento from the burial of Helena.