Obverse: CONSTANTIVS NOB CAES; Laureate and
Draped Bust of Constantius I Chlorus Facing
Right
Reverse: GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius Standing
to the Left, Holding a Patera and a Cornucopiae
Although Constantius I, full name FLAVIUS
VALERIUS CONSTANTIUS, led a celebrated life,
we will eternal be remembered foremost for
fathering Constantine I, better known as
Constantine the Great. Constantius I was a
general and administrator under Emperor
Maximian and achieved the rank of Caesar in
293. On the establishment of the tetrarchy
(comprising two senior Augusti and two junior
Cersars), Emperor Diocletian appointed him
Emperor of the West and lands including Gaul.
Following a long series of battles with barbarian
invaders, Constantius arrived in Britain where he
continued his policy of showing mercy and
restoring defenses. While engaged in a campaign
against the Picts (an ancient Scottish tribe), he
died at Eboracum (modern York, England). His
son, Constantine the Great, would become the
first Emperor to convert to Christianity and the
founder of Constantinople, the capital of the
Byzantine Empire. However, Constantine the
Great’s historical accomplishments were a
reflection of his father’s ability as a general and
generosity as a ruler.
How many hands have touched a coin in your
pocket or purse? What eras and lands have the
coin traversed on its journey into our
possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull
out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of
who might have touched the coin before us, or
where the coin will venture to after it leaves our
hands. More than money, coins are a symbol of
the state that struck them, of a specific time and
location, whether contemporary currencies or
artifacts of a long forgotten empire. This
stunning hand-struck coin reveals an expertise
of craftsmanship and intricate sculptural detail
that is often lacking in contemporary machine-
made currencies. This ancient coin is a memorial
to the Emperor Constantius I Chlorus, passed
from the hands of civilization to civilization, from
generation to generation that still appears as
vibrant today as the day it was struck.
- (C.7000)
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