eBay item 2226792682 (Ends Feb-28-04 12:21:08 PST) - 1600 Yr Old ROMAN Coin CONSTANTINE The Great
home | pay | register | sign in | services | site map| help
Back to list of items Listed in category: Coins > Coins:
Ancient > Roman: Imperial
Also listed in: Antiques > Antiquities > Roman
1600 Yr Old ROMAN Coin CONSTANTINE The Great Item number: 2226792682
You are signed in
Bidding has ended for this item
If you are a winner, Sign in for your status.
Go to larger picture Winning bid: US $25.28
Ended: Feb-28-04 12:21:08 PST
Start time:Feb-18-04 12:21:08 PST
History:10 bids (US $18.00 starting bid)
Winning bidder: User ID kept private
Item location: The City Different - Santa Fe
United States
Ships to: Worldwide
Shipping and payment details
Seller information
axismundi.com( 1888)
Feedback Score: 1888
Positive Feedback: 99.9%
Member since Mar-06-98 in United States
Read feedback comments
Ask seller a question
View seller's other items
Visit this seller's eBay Store!
Axis Mundi Ancient Coins
Buyer Protection Offered
See coverage and eligibility
Description (revised)
1600 Yr Old ROMAN Coin CONSTANTINE The Great
Desirable and Authentic 1600+ Year Old Roman Bronze Coin
of the Emperor Constantine the Great / Historically
Significant as the First Christian Emperor / Minted in
Ticinum 319-320 AD / Featuring a Large Portrait of the
Emperor and a Scene of Two Captives Beneath a Military
Standard Commemorating the Imperial Vows / No Reserve
This coin will be shipped in a professional numismatic
protective sleeve and accompanied by our written
guarantee of authenticity which accurately documents the
coin as to culture, region or ruler, precious metal,
age, denomination and weight as well as a color
photograph of the coin.
Axis Mundi's Statement of Authenticity : The coin being
offered here is backed by Axis Mundi's 30 years of
experience in the ancient coin business and is
unconditionally guaranteed to be genuine. If you have
any questions concerning this coin you can reach one of
our professional staff by email at mail@axis-mundi.com
or by phone at 505-424-3414. This coin can also be
inspected in person, upon request, during our business
hours ( 12-6 PM daily ). Please send all mail
correspondence and payments to: Axis Mundi 2442
Cerrillos Road # 330, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505. This
coin will be shipped in a professional numismatic
protective sleeve and accompanied by our written
guarantee of authenticity which accurately documents the
coin as to culture, region or ruler, precious metal,
age, denomination and weight as well as a color
photograph of the coin.
Concerning Our Switch To "Private Auction" : Our
decision to list all of our eBay coin offerings as
"Private Auctions" is being done at the request of many
of our important coin collectors. Please take the time
to read why we have taken this step.
Over the past year a significant number of our dedicated
customers have urged us to consider private auctions so
that they may avoid receiving the enormous amounts of
spam from individuals and companies who make a habit of
harvesting the email addresses of eBay users. For many,
this is particularly disturbing and embarrassing when
spam for adults only services and products continue to
flood their inbox. In addition, some of our clients have
informed us that they have become the target of hate
groups due to their purchases of certain ethnic coins.
This is especially true with coins of Jewish origin. And
even though eBay has made tremendous efforts to curb
attempts to gain access to user information, it
continues to be a serious problem. We have decided,
therefore, to take the only step possible to protect our
client confidentiality by switching to private auctions.
Private auctions have always been the normal procedure
for all auction houses such as Christie's, Sotheby's,
and major coin sales as well. We fully realize that many
eBay users are reluctant to bid on private auctions, but
the privacy of our clients is certainly more important
than any other consideration.
Description: We are pleased to offer this desirable
genuine 1600+ year old Roman bronze coin of the Emperor
Constantine the Great for your consideration. There is
no question that Constantine is one of the most
important figures in the history of the western world. (
See history of Constantine below )
This particular coin was minted in Ticinum 319-320 AD
and survives in very fine condition with both sides
being well struck and well centered. It features a large
portrait of Constantine wearing a crested helmet and a
scene of two bound captives beneath a standard
commemorating the public vows undertaken by the emperor
on behalf of the state. The imperial vows were held
every five years and this coin marks the ocassion of the
20th year. Basically the vows took the form of "If you
do this for me, I will then do this for you". Not to be
confused with conventional prayer whereby the god(s)
would receive a gift whether or not the prayer was
answered. But with a vow, the god(s) would only receive
a gift or sacrifice if the supplicant's wish were
granted. These vows were recorded in writing, and the
records were held by the pontifs.
The artistry and history of ancient Roman coins have
always been a tremendous lure to collectors. In
addition, these heirlooms of the ancient world have
become extremely popular as showpieces for modern
jewelry. Here's your opportunity to add this important
1600+ year old example to your collection . We've
decided to offer this ancient coin with no reserve to
stimulate active bidding and encourage new collectors.
You will not be disappointed with this historic and
valuable treasure.
Obverse: Helmeted and cuirassed bust of Constantine I
facing right... CONSTANTINVS AVG.
Reverse: Two captives bound beneath a standard inscribed
with... VOT XX with an eight-pointed star flanked by ...
P T in exergue.
Size: 19 mm ( 3/4" )
Weight: 2.4 grams
Reference: RIC 122 - Ticinum
Constantine I (the Great ): In 324 AD, Constantine
finally achieved full control over an undivided empire.
He relocated the imperial capitol from Rome to
Byzantium, and changed the name of the city to
Constantinople. He was a skillful politician who made
Christianity the official religion of the empire because
of his personal convictions. For the first time a
Christian emperor had ascended the throne, although
there is some dispute about the depth of his faith. Some
see him as a wily statesman who exploited Christianity
for political purposes, while others maintain that the
emperor believed wholeheartedly that he had been chosen
by the Christian God and that Jesus was his protector
and guardian and the cause of his victories in battle.
The most noteworthy of these battles; changing forever
the path of Western civilization, took place at the
Milvian Bridge on October 28, 312 AD between Constantine
and Maxentius. The stone bridge (still standing today)
carries the Via Flaminia across the Tiber River into
Rome. The two emperors had been disputing over control
of the western half of the Roman empire for five years.
Before the battle, it is reported that Constantine
looked into the sky and saw a cross superimposed on the
sun and heard a voice saying "In hoc signes vinces" (
`With this sign, conquer?--this is the source of the
"IHS" found so often in Christian Iconography ). This
vision assured Constantine that he should conquer in the
sign of the Christ, and, prior to the battle, his
warriors accordingly added Christ's monogram on their
shields, though the majority were pagans. The opposing
forces met near the bridge, and here Maxentius' troops
suffered a complete defeat, the tyrant himself losing
his life in the Tiber. The victor immediately gave
convincing proof of his gratitude to the God of the
Christians: Christianity was henceforth tolerated
throughout the empire by the Edict of Milan in 313 AD.
It was this toleration of Christianity that is often
considered Constantine's greatest contribution to
western civilization. Although he considered himself a
Christian since the vision of Milvian Bridge, yet a
careful reading of the edict shows that there was no
intention of offending pagans, and pagan conceptions and
pagan forms of expression still lasted for a long time.
Constantine showed equal favor to both religions; his
coinage carried the sun god until 320 AD. As pontifex
maximus ( Supreme Pontif ) he watched over heathen
worship and protected its rights. He cannot be seen as
entirely humane, but, rather, as a cunning deceitful
person, even a murderer. He permitted the continuation
of the practice of exposure, the killing of unwanted
children. Where the policy of the State required, he
could be cruel. Even after his conversion he caused the
execution of his brother-in-law Licinius, and of the
latter's son, as well as of Crispus his own son by his
first marriage, and of his wife Fausta.
THE DANGERS OF LAST MINUTE BIDDING : Almost without fail
after an auction has closed we receive emails from
bidders who claim they were attempting to place a bid
and were unable to get into eBay. There is nothing we
can do to help bidders who were "locked out" while
trying to place a "last minute" bid. All we can do in
this regard is to urge you to place your bids early. If
you're serious in your intent to become a winning bidder
please avoid eBay's high traffic during the close of an
auction. Its certainly your choice how you handle your
bidding, but we'd rather see you a winner instead of
being left out during the last minute scramble.
AUTHENTICITY : We are a member of the American
Numismatic Association. All items are accompanied by a
lifetime guarantee of authenticity.
DOMESTIC SHIPPING COSTS : High bidder to pay $6.00 for
Priority shipping with insurance.
INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING COSTS : High bidder to pay the
actual cost of shipping by air. It is the responsibility
of the buyer to comply with foreign customs and exchange
regulations.
RETURN POLICY : Items can be returned for ANY reason
within 10 days of receipt for a full refund minus
shipping costs. All items are shipped fully insured
against loss or damage. Should any item arrive in
damaged condition buyer agrees to save all packing
materials pending examination by representative of
shipping company.
PAYMENT METHODS : We accept checks, money orders, VISA,
MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS and PAY PAL.
Personal checks must clear our bank before shipment of
item except in cases of established clients.
Click here to see ...AXIS MUNDI's... other quality
auctions
Copyright 2004 Axis Mundi
Thanks for Your Time and Interest
Created by eBay Seller's Assistant Pro
Visit Axis Mundi Ancient Coins today!
Shipping and payment details
Shipping and handling: US $3.80 (within United States)
Buyer pays for all shipping costs
Save on shipping now! - Buy more from this seller
Shipping insurance: US $2.20 (Required)
Sales tax: 6.400% (only in NM)
Will ship worldwide.
Seller's payment instructions & return policy:
Axis Mundi will email the winning bidder with payment options
following the close of each auction. We accept checks, money
orders, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. You can make
credit card payment by calling us directly at 505-424-3414
(12-6 PM Mountain Time) or through Pay Pal. Customers outside
the USA can make Pay Pal payments in US Dollars, Pounds
Sterling, Euro, or Yen. Shipping fees appearing on this page
are for USA delivery ONLY.
Payment methods accepted
This seller, axismundi.com, prefers PayPal.
Personal check
Money order/Cashiers check
See item description for payment methods accepted
Visa/MasterCard, American Express
Learn about payment methods.
Where to go next?
Back to list of items | Email this item to a friend | Printer
friendly page | Safe Trading Tips | Top of page
Seller assumes all responsibility for listing this item.
Announcements | Register | Security Center | Policies
| Feedback Forum | About eBay
Copyright c 1995-2004 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their
respective owners.
Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the eBay User
Agreement and Privacy Policy.