A fine Roman bronze follis of Constantine I the Great to commemorate the foundation of Constantinople. The obverse features a laureate, helmeted bust of Constantine I, wearing the imperial mantle, facing left, with the inscription CONSTAN-TINOPOLIS. The reverse depicts Victory standing on prow, facing left, holding a tranverse sceptre, with a hand on a shield to the right, and BSIS in exergue, indicating the mint. Constantine I, also known as Constantine the Great, was a Roman emperor who ruled from 306 to 337 AD. During his reign he reformed many aspects including the structure of the government in which he separated the civil and military powers. Constantine improved inflation with the creation of a new gold coin named Solidus and was successful with the Roman frontiers. He was the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity allowing the religion, along with other cults, to be legalised in Rome. Diameter: circa 1.8 cm Weight: 2.47 g Provenance: Ex Cambridgeshire private collection, acquired 1970s.