The epic Battle of the Milvian Bridge occurred on October 28, 312 AD, marking one of the most important milestones in
world history. The rival armies of Roman Emperors Constantine I and Maxentius met for their final, climactic clash at the
famous Milvian Bridge which spanned the Tiber River, located just north of the city of Rome. The battle would see
Constantine’s army victorious and Maxentius drowned in the Tiber. That victory began a series of events that led to the end
of the Roman Tetrarchy form of government, the seating of Constantine as sole ruler of the Roman Empire and the
entrenchment of his dynasty for the next half century. Most importantly, however, the battle was the critical turning point in
Constantine’s thinking, leading him to successfully convert the Roman Empire to Christianity--the meteoric rise and
influence which dominates Western civilization to this day.
The battle culminated the five year power struggle for control of the Roman Empire. Constantine claimed the victory was
won by Devine inspiration. According to legendary Christian historical accounts, on Oct. 27, the day before the two armies
would do battle, Constantine is reported to have beheld a vision of a cross in the sky, superimposed on the sun, with the
words “In This Sign, Conquer", ("In hoc signo vinces"). That night, in a dream, he was instructed to fight in the name of
Christ--to place on his soldiers’ shields the Christogram—the symbol of Christ’s name in the form of Greek letters chi (X)
and rho (P). These omens were seen as having guided Constantine and his army to their victory in the battle. Christianity
was later proclaimed the official religion of the Roman Empire, ending 900 years of pagan worship.
Over the course of his 30 year rule, the varieties of coin types minted by Constantine numbered well into the thousands.
During this period, Rome’s persistent financial problems and long history of monetary decline saw an acceleration of the
progressive diminution of the size and quality of Imperial bronze coins. Portrait style, headgear and reverse types also
evolved rapidly. Perhaps as a result of the rapid changes, Constantine’s coin designs feature a variety of portraiture which
was unsurpassed by any Roman emperor either before or after. Radical changes to the coins’ designs over time are clearly
illustrated in this unique collection of bronze coins minted by Emperor Constantine over a period of nearly three decades.
The coins were chosen to illustrate the remarkable variety of Constantine’s lifetime portraits. This collection of 6 coins also
includes a posthumous issue, where Constantine’s veiled portrait appears on a commemorative coin that was minted by his
surviving sons during the years immediately following their father’s death in 337 AD.
Data:
Obverse: Different busts of Constantine I, “The Great”
Reverse: Various types
Diameter: 15-23mm
Weight: 1.5-3.5g
Box measures: 7.25” x 5.5”
Order code: 6MILVIANBOX
1700th ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE THAT
CHANGED THE COURSE OF HISTORY
Roman Bronze 6 Coin Collection
Commemorating Emperor Constantine’s Victory At
The Milvian Bridge and The Rise of Christianity
All coins in each set are protected in an archival capsule and
beautifully displayed in a mahogany-like box.
The box set is accompanied with a story card, certificate of
authenticity, and a black embossed gift box.
Coin type and grade may vary somewhat from image