AD 307–337 Ancient Roman Bronze Nummus of Constantine The Great Sol Invictus NGC AU

The First Coin of Christianity

• ANCIENT COINS OF CONSTANTINE THE GREAT – The coins available in this offer were struck from AD 307-337 during the reign of Roman Emperor Constantine I – better known as Constantine the Great.
• NICE COLLECTOR-GRADE CONDITION – Your AD 307–337 Ancient Roman Billon Bronze Nummus of Constantine the Great was certified and graded by the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) as being in About Uncirculated (AU) condition.
• HAND-SELECTED FOR EYE APPEAL – Each coin in this offer has been hand-selected for its high-grade quality and pleasant eye appeal – worthy additions to any collection of historic and significant pieces.
• SEALED IN A PROTECTIVE HOLDER – Your coin has been sonically sealed in an acrylic holder with a white display core — giving you the best in protection while granting clear sightlines into every beautiful detail.

Constantine the Great was the world’s first Christian Emperor. But he didn’t start out that way...

Ruling from A.D. 307 to 337, Constantine began his reign as a worshiper of Sol Invictus, “The Unconquerable Sun.” But after a vision of the Cross led to him to victory in battle and his subsequent rise to being crowned the sole Emperor of the Roman Empire, Constantine literally “saw the light” and shifted his beliefs.

Believing that Sol Invictus and Christ were one and the same, Constantine legalized Christianity, allowing it to flourish. He merged the worship of Sol Invictus and Christ, creating religious practices still observed by modern-day Christians like observing Christmas on December 25th and celebrating Easter to the first Sunday after the first full moon of the vernal equinox. He also authorized the striking of this bronze Nummus coin — the first true coin of a Christian Empire, and thus the most important coin of Christian history.

We recently located a cache of these 1,600-year-old coins, each featuring Sol Invictus on its obverse. This was a savvy move by Constantine, who was converting the Roman Empire to Christianity with a merging of religions. It wasn’t until A.D. 692 that an image of Christ appeared on circulating coinage — a full 355 years after this coin was struck. As Constantine used the image of Sol Invictus to spread the Christian gospel, this is truly the first coin of Jesus Christ!

It’s no stretch to say that Constantine the Great changed the course of history. Not only was he a Roman emperor who ruled at the height of the empire’s power, but he was also the first Western Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. His Edict of Milan in 313 declared religious tolerance for Christians and the First Council of Nicaea — which produced the Nicene Creed — was called in 325 by Constantine. Not surprisingly, for these and other acts he was venerated a saint by the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Church.

For nearly seventeen centuries, these stunning coins have survived earthquakes, floods, and the rise and fall of empires. Although there are many coins of the Constantine dynasty, most that survive are in very poor condition and appear flat and worn out – but not these coins! Each piece in this offer has been individually authenticated and certified by the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) as being in incredible About Uncirculated (AU) condition — almost as good as new!