Commemorative Series. AE (Bronze, 14 mm, 1.19 g, 6 h), Constantinopolis, 330. POP ROMANVS Laureate and draped bust of the Genius Populi Romanus to left, with cornucopiae over his left shoulder. Rev. The Milvian Bridge over the Tiber River; above, CONS / AI. RIC 21. Sandy deposits, otherwise, good very fine.



A comparable reverse scene appears on the Lyon lead medallion (Bastien 1989), which depicts the Rhine bridge at Mainz. The bridge features double towers at each end and a diagonal lattice railing along its length. Kowalewski (1998) reinterpreted the bridge as a barrage, suggesting that the diagonal lattice railing represents a movable barrier that could be lowered into the water using winches atop the towers, thereby preventing enemy passage. However, as evidenced by the Lyon medallion and similar bridges depicted on regular bronze coins, the latticework is a standard Roman railing. A comparable design appears in this depiction of the Milvian Bridge. On larger coins, the structures atop the towers are described as statues (cf. Trajan RIC II 570 and Septimius Severus RIC IV 786b).