Constantine, 306-337, AE3

Constantinopolis, AE3, AE, commemorative issue of Constantine I (AD 306–337), Alexandria mint, struck c. AD 330–333, 2.51 g, 17 mm. Obverse with legend CONSTANTINOPOLIS; helmeted, laureate and cuirassed bust of Constantinopolis left. Reverse with winged Victory, draped, standing left on prow, holding spear in right hand and shield in left. Even strike on centered flans, with legends and principal devices clear. RIC VII Alexandria 64.

This civic commemorative type was struck across the empire following the dedication of Constantinople in AD 330, marking the formal establishment of the new imperial capital on the Bosporus. The personification of the city on the obverse and Victory standing on a prow on the reverse associate the foundation with military success and maritime power, reflecting the strategic role of Constantinople in controlling key routes between Europe and Asia and in projecting Roman authority in the eastern Mediterranean.