Constantine-Liberator Of The World

Constantine I
A.D. 315
AE nummus 22mm 3.3g
IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG; laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
LIBERATOR ORBIS; Constantine, on horseback galloping right, hunting a lion.
In ex. R star P
RIC VII Rome -

This "Liberator of the World" type is not in RIC; though numismatists knew about it. It was probably omitted due to uncertainty over the dating. This coin commemorated the defeat of Maxentius in A.D. 312; but was issued in A.D. 315. This was when Constantine celebrated his decennalia (10 year anniversary). That same year, a triumphal arch in Rome was dedicated to Constantine and one of the inscriptions is LIBERATORI VRBIS. Interestingly, much of this arch was recycled from previous Emperors, like Trajan and Hadrian. They removed the heads of earlier Emperor's and replaced them with Constantine's.

here is a picture of the arch




The reverse of this coin shows Constantine hunting a lion and it looks like the lion might even have a spear in its shoulder. Though the lion represents Maxentius; lion hunts also symbolically showed the bravery of the hunter. There is also a Hercules reference and Constantine was in the Herculean family according to the lineage established by Diocletian (Diocletian was related to Jupiter and Maximianus was related to Hercules). Lactantius, a 4th century Christian apologist, wrote that Galerius forced Constantine to fight a lion, circa A.D. 300. This story is almost certainly fabricated; but it shows that fighting lions (and winning) represented bravery. There is even a roundel on the arch which showed Hadrian in a lion hunt; but the head was changed to that of Constantine.

the left roundel shows the slain lion at the feet of the hunters




Here is a coin issued in A.D. 312- 313 that references that Constantine was in the Hercules family and also celebrates the defeat of Maxentius, since the reverse is HERCVLI VICTORI-- To Hercules, the Victor.




Constantine I
A.D. 312- 313
21mm 4.7g
IMP C CONSTANTINVS P F AVG; laureate and cuirassed bust right.
HERCVLI VICTORI; Hercules standing right, leaning on club and holding Victory on globe and lion's skin.
In ex. R S
RIC VI Rome 299

Ex- Dattari.workshop not in RIC