Constantine the Great and sons (330-346 AD)
| Coin Description | Commemorative Coin, AE 18 mm, Grade??, VM 1, RBC 363, RIC VII Heraclea 115. |
| Obverse | The portrait is of the personification of the city of Constantinopolis a helmeted bust facing left with a scepter (denoting power) over her shoulder. The legend reads CONSTANTINOPOLI meaning "Constantine's city". |
| Reverse |
The reverse shows Victory standing on the prow of a galley facing left, holding a spear in her right and resting her left hand on a shield. It commemorates a great naval battle waged between Constantine I and Licinius I his then co-emperor and rival. Constantine won the battle securing the site of his new capital. |
| Mint | The exergue reads SMHA meaning SM (Sacred Moneta / Sacred Money) H for the mint of Heraclea and A for alpha the first officina of the city. |
| The Entire Story | Constantine the Great refounded the ancient Greek city of Byzantium as Constantinople and made it the capital of the empire. On the 8th of November 324 Constantine formally laid out the boundaries of his new city, roughly quadrupling its territory. By 328 the new walls were completed, and on the 11th of May 330 the new city was formally dedicated. This coin was minted to commemorate this grand occasion. |
