Roman Bronze Follis of Constantine I – Sol Invictus Reverse

AD 313–317 | XRF Tested | 1,700 Years Old

Somewhere around 1,700 years ago, this small bronze coin was struck during the reign of Constantine I, the emperor who completely reshaped the Roman world.

You know… casual accomplishments like:

• Legalizing Christianity
• Winning multiple civil wars
• Reorganizing the Roman Empire
• Founding a little city called Constantinople

Not bad for a guy whose portrait on this coin looks like he could sniff out a gold hoard from three provinces away.

Seriously… that nose deserves its own province.

Obverse:

Legend: CONSTANTINVS P F AVG

Translation: Constantine, Dutiful and Fortunate Emperor

The obverse shows Constantine wearing the traditional laurel wreath of victory.

The portrait is classic Roman imperial propaganda: strong jawline, confident stare, and a nose so prominent it probably needed its own mint mark.

Roman engravers loved exaggerating imperial features, but here they may have gotten a little carried away.

Either that… or Constantine could smell barbarian invasions coming before the scouts did.

Reverse:

Legend: SOLI INVICTO COMITI

Translation: To the Unconquered Sun, companion of the emperor.

The reverse features Sol Invictus, the Roman Sun God:

• standing confidently
• raising his hand in blessing
• holding a globe representing dominion over the world

This imagery reflects a fascinating moment in Roman history. Constantine would eventually favor Christianity, but at this stage he was still hedging his bets with the Sun God.

Because when you run the Roman Empire, angering the wrong god is generally considered bad for job security. 

Specifications

XRF Metal Analysis

This coin was analyzed using XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) to determine its alloy composition.

Originally these coins had a thin silver wash, so when freshly struck they would have looked bright and shiny instead of the dark patina seen today.

In other words:

The Roman mint took a mostly copper coin…

Added a thin silver coating…

And hoped nobody noticed.

Ancient monetary policy at its finest.

A Coin from a Turning Point in History 

This coin circulated during one of the most important turning points in Roman history. Within a few years, Constantine would become the sole ruler of the empire and Christianity would begin its rise to dominance across the Roman world.

But here we still see the Sun God.

And Constantine’s impressive nose.

Both apparently unconquered.