Constantine, 306-337, AE3

Constantine I, AE3, bronze, reign 306–337 AD, Antioch mint, c. 330–335 AD, 2.44 g, 18 mm. Obverse with laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right; legend CONSTANTINVS MAX AVG. Reverse depicting two soldiers standing facing one another, each holding spear and resting hand on shield, with one military standard between; legend GLORIA EXERCITVS. Generally well-centered with clear legends and devices; typical late Roman mint fabric. RIC VII Antioch 85.

Issued during Constantine’s consolidation of imperial authority and the reorganization of the army and administration, the GLORIA EXERCITVS type promoted the loyalty and prominence of the field forces that underpinned the dynasty’s stability. Struck at Antioch, a principal eastern mint and administrative center, this emission reflects the standardized military iconography and propaganda of the Constantinian period in the years following the foundation of Constantinople and the shifting focus of imperial power toward the eastern provinces.