Constantine I 306-337 A.D.
Constantine I 306-337 A.D.
| Coin Description | Constantine I The Great, AE 20mm, Grade ??, silvered bronze (pieces of silvering can still be seen),VM 79,RIC VII Siscia 159, RBC 305. |
| Obverse | The portrait is of Constantine a laureate bust facing right. The legend reads CONSTANTINVS AVG meaning: CONSTANTINVS (his name) AVG Augustus which defines him as being the emperor. The legend is broken which is a sign of the highest respect and signifies him as the senior Augustus |
| Reverse |
The reverse shows a wreath with the letters VOT XX which translates as:
Votis XX which means vows for a succesfull reign of 20 years.This derives
from the Roman custom of offering vows of a certain sacrifice to the Gods
in return for the granting of some favor or wish. During his reign, the
emperor would offer vows to safeguard the people and the state for a certain
period. When the end of this period was reached (in this case 20 years
his Vicennalia) he would make the sacrifices in fulfillment of those vows.
The vows were usually a money sacrifice paid to the pagan gods. (note
that they only paid on delivery of the goods |
| Mint | The exergue reads
 SIS * meaning
the 4th workshop (delta) of Siscia,
minted between 318 and 321 A.D. |
| The Entire Story | The entire story of this coin would read: Constantine the Great Augustus promises vows for a successfull reign of twenty years. |
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