Constantine, 306-337, AE2

Constantine I, AE2, bronze, reign 306–337 AD, Nicomedia mint, struck c. 324–325 AD, 2.51 g, 22 mm. Obverse with laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right; legend CONSTANTINVS AVG. Reverse PROVIDENTIAE AVGG: campgate with turrets and closed doors, star above; exergue mark of Nicomedia mint. Well-centred strike with clear legends and principal devices preserved. RIC VII Nicomedia 90.

Issued during Constantine I’s consolidation of power in the eastern provinces, the PROVIDENTIAE AVGG campgate type advertises imperial foresight and the security of the state through fortified frontiers and stable administration. Struck at Nicomedia, an important imperial and military centre in Bithynia, this series reflects the reorganisation of the imperial mints and the messaging of public safety and continuity in the aftermath of civil conflict and during the formation of a unified Constantinian regime.