CONSTANS & Victories w/ Triumph Wreaths, SCARCE 16-17mm Imperial Roman Coin For Sale

IMPERIAL ROMAN COIN
Constantinian Dynasty
Constantine Ihad four sons whom he originally designated as Caesars.His first wife,Minervina, bore him his eldest son namedCrispus. He was made Caesar while his three half-brothers (whose mother wasFausta) were very young. Constantinehad Crispus killed for reasons that are unclear today, but it is strongly suspected that his second wife, Fausta, had something to do with it so that her sons could move ahead ofCrispusinto the position of Emperor. Subsequently,Constantine\'sremaining sons,Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans, each became a Roman Emperor afterdisposing of most of the cousins.

TRIUMPH WREATHS

Thiscoin is a great way to add to your collection of coins from Constantine theGreat and his family. The inscriptionVICTORIAE DD AVGGQ NNrefers to the\"TheVictories of Our Lords and Emperors\".They were mostly minted bytwo of Constantine\'s sons, Constans and Constantius II.The two Victories on the reverse of these coins wereholding upTriumph Wreaths. Recognized as the top honor for militaryor public officers, the triumph wreath was given to Romans as a reward andpraise when completing a victory. There are different kinds of triumph wreaths,each made from different materials. A victorious general received a wreathconsisting of gold and decorated jewels. This wreath was either worn if itwasn\'t heavy or just held over the head of the victor. This wreath was alsogiven as a gift to commanders. The most honorable wreath, the CoronaTriumphalis, was adorned with bay leaves or laurels. The triumphwreaths were heavily cherished by the Romans and a desired object by the Romancitizens.

Roman Imperialreverse types used a large number of figures that personified ideas, godsand/or virtues. The Greekgoddess Nike, the\"Winged Goddess of Victory” has become one of the most common symbols usedon coins for millennia. The Romans co-opted her and named her Victoria.She was the goddess of strength, speed and victory. She flew aroundbattlefields bestowing the victors with glory and fame. The Mexican Libertadsilver coin is one modern example. It is also used frequently in modernculture as exemplified by the shoe company, Nike, and the hood ornament on aRolls Royce.Victory usually holds a wreath and/or a palm branch,both used as symbols of victory and triumph.

Thiscoin was mintedin the ancient city of Thessalonica (Θεσσαλονίκη) or what is now the capital of GreekMacedonia. It was established around 315 B.C. by Cassander, King ofMacedonia and became the capital city of Macedonia. It later fell to the Marc Antony and theRomans in 51 B.C. Thessalonicaeventually became capital to all the Greek provinces of the Roman Empire. It survived attacks by Avars and Slavs as amajor Byzantine city until it was eventually sacked by the Arabs in 904A.D. It was retaken by the Byzantinesshortly thereafter regaining its status as the second most important Byzantinecity after Constantinople. The Ottomanscaptured and sacked the city in 1430 A.D.Its population suffered through occupations in two world wars. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site,Thessalonica is home to many prominent archeological sites: Roman forum, Romanbaths, a theater used for gladiatorial games, Emperor Galerius’ imperial palacecomplex, and several Roman arches. Locatedon fertile plains, the Thessaly region was renown for its horse breeding. The Thessaloniancavalry wasrenown inancient times as it served in the Macedonianmilitary.It was struck in one of many officinae orworkshops inthe city. Officinae weredesignated by a different letter of the Greek or Roman alphabets (in the caseof this coin by the letterBindicatingthat it was struck in the 2nd officina), or by certain recognizable symbols suchas palm branches, dots, stars, and sunrises.

Here are its attributes:

OBV:CONSTANS PF AVG, rosette diademed, draped, cuirassed bust rightREV:VICTORIAE DD AVGGQ NN, Two Victories facing each other, each holding wreaths and palm branches; upright palm branch in centerEXE: SMTSB Thessalonicamint RIC 105 rated SCARCE
As usual, the pictures really don\'t do justice. Let me know if you have questions.Absolute Guarantee of Authenticity

I have collected Roman coins for many years and have always bought coins from trusted, reputable dealers. The coins I sell are ancient currency minted under the authority of the Roman Empire. The details I describe (emperor, location, legends, etc) are derived from well-known and certified attribution sources. The descriptions are guaranteed accurate as much as the condition of the coin allows. ThisGuarantee of Authenticitydoes not make any claim or estimate of the value or grades of the coin(s).

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