Constantine I, 307/310-337. Solidus (Gold, 19 mm, 4.62 g, 5 h), Thessalonica, 324. CONSTANT-INVS P F AVG Laureate head of Constantine I to right. Rev. VICTOR OMN-IVM GENTIVM / SMTSЄ Constantine I, laureate, standing front in military attire, head to left, holding signum in his right hand and resting his left on shield set on ground; before to left, two figures kneeling right in supplication with their hands raised towards the emperor; behind to right, bound barbarian captive seated right, head turned back to left. Biaggi 2003 (this coin). Depeyrot 10/5E (this coin). Jameson 354 (this coin). RIC 135.Є (this coin). Extremely rare. A wonderful example of this prestigious issue, surely one of the finest known examples. Extremely fine.


The early 320s saw a series of decisive military victories by Constantine and his family: first, his eldest son, Crispus, defeated the Franks and Alemanni on the Rhine frontier, a resounding success, which was followed by Constantine's own victories against the Sarmatians and the Goths on the Danube frontier in 322 and 323. In celebration of these achievements, Constantine adopted the titles Sarmaticus Maximus and struck a series of coins that praised his victoriousness. The present issue was struck in Thessalonica, where Constantine resided since 322, and panegyrizes him as 'defeater of all the peoples', thus taking up again a title which he had assumed for the first time ten years before. Constantine's recent military victories greatly strengthened his position and the renewed title was more than a dig at Licinius I, who had proven unable to defend the Danube frontier and had lost the Balkan provinces, with the exception of Thrace, to Constantine just a couple of years before.