Posthumous Issue, Constantine the Great, Roman Empire

Posthumous Issue, Constantine the Great

Date: c. 337 - 347 CE

Roman Empire

After the death of Constantine the Great in 337 CE, his three sons inherited the throne as co-emperors of the Roman Empire. To honor their father's memory and solidify his legacy, they issued posthumous coins featuring his likeness, which was a common practice in the Roman Empire. These coins often depicted Constantine wearing a veil, a symbol of his deification and his identification with the gods. By portraying Constantine as a divine figure, the coins emphasized his significance and influence within the empire, and reinforced the idea that he was a powerful and effective ruler who deserved to be venerated.

Constantine I (dubbed "the Great") was a Roman emperor who ruled from 306 CE to 337 CE. He is known for his major accomplishments such as the Edict of Milan, which granted religious tolerance to Christians, the Council of Nicaea, where he established a unified doctrine for Christianity, and the construction of monumental structures like the Hagia Sophia. He died in 337 AD and was succeeded by his three sons, Constantine II who ruled over the western Roman Empire, Constantius II who ruled over the East, and Constans who ruled over Italy and Africa.