Colonial Acres Coins
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Ancient Rome 307-337 AD Constantine the Great Bronze Coin with Information Sheet
Ancient Rome 307-337 AD Constantine the Great Bronze Coin with Information Sheet
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Ancient Rome 307-337 AD Constantine the Great Bronze Coin with Information Sheet
The third century was so bad for Rome that most of it was dominated by a period literally called "The Crisis of the Third Century." Money was a problem, with the size of the empire making it simply too expensive to run. Frontiers were a problem, as the Sassanids and the Germans blocked expansion and threatened border provinces. Imperial succession was a problem, with twenty-six emperors in a period of just over fifty years. Plague was a problem. Climate change was a problem. Civil war was a problem. Taxes were a problem. And just to top it off, the esoteric old religion was breaking down, and some strange, newfangled cult out of Palestine was threatening to take its place. Things were bad, and they seemed to only be getting worse.
At the turn of the fourth century, Constantine was just one of several rivals jockeying for power. The climax of his struggle came in 312 CE, when he defeated his principal rival, Maxentius, at the Battle of Milvian Bridge. Reportedly, when Constantine looked into the sky before the battle, he saw a cross of light and the words In Hoc Signo Vinces -- "In This Sign, Conquer." Constantine was outmatched, but he won the battle -- and the empire. Realizing that perhaps there was something to that strange, newfangled cult leaking out of Palestine, he converted to Christianity.
Constantine's reign is both an end and a beginning. He was the last really notable Roman emperor, the final hurrah of the Classical age before a long descent into the end. He was also the first leader of a new era that would be defined by the fusion of politics and Christianity. There is a reason many ancient histories end with Constantine, and many medieval ones begin with him.
This bronze coin circulated during Constantine's reign, the obverse displaying his signature wide-eyed bust. It comes packaged with an informational sheet. Please note, the coin itself is an example of the one you will receive.
The third century was so bad for Rome that most of it was dominated by a period literally called "The Crisis of the Third Century." Money was a problem, with the size of the empire making it simply too expensive to run. Frontiers were a problem, as the Sassanids and the Germans blocked expansion and threatened border provinces. Imperial succession was a problem, with twenty-six emperors in a period of just over fifty years. Plague was a problem. Climate change was a problem. Civil war was a problem. Taxes were a problem. And just to top it off, the esoteric old religion was breaking down, and some strange, newfangled cult out of Palestine was threatening to take its place. Things were bad, and they seemed to only be getting worse.
At the turn of the fourth century, Constantine was just one of several rivals jockeying for power. The climax of his struggle came in 312 CE, when he defeated his principal rival, Maxentius, at the Battle of Milvian Bridge. Reportedly, when Constantine looked into the sky before the battle, he saw a cross of light and the words In Hoc Signo Vinces -- "In This Sign, Conquer." Constantine was outmatched, but he won the battle -- and the empire. Realizing that perhaps there was something to that strange, newfangled cult leaking out of Palestine, he converted to Christianity.
Constantine's reign is both an end and a beginning. He was the last really notable Roman emperor, the final hurrah of the Classical age before a long descent into the end. He was also the first leader of a new era that would be defined by the fusion of politics and Christianity. There is a reason many ancient histories end with Constantine, and many medieval ones begin with him.
This bronze coin circulated during Constantine's reign, the obverse displaying his signature wide-eyed bust. It comes packaged with an informational sheet. Please note, the coin itself is an example of the one you will receive.
