THE COINS OF CONSTANTINE.
We are more or less in the habit of assuming that just as Paul, the
founder of the catholic faith, was converted, not altogether by reason
but as it were by force and with the rapidity of a flash of lightning,
under the rays of a meridian sun ("About _noon_ suddenly there shone
from heaven a great light round about me," _Acts_ xxii. 6; "At
_mid-day_," _Acts_ xxvi. 13), so Constantine, the establisher of that
faith as the State Religion of the empire in which Paul was so proud of
his rights as a citizen, was in similarly rapid fashion converted by
the appearance of a miraculous "cross" of light and an accompanying
legend above a meridian sun ("At _mid-day_," Eusebius, _Vit. Const.
I._).
But, as has already been pointed out, this alleged vision of
Constantine is said to have taken place during his march upon Rome in
the year A.C. 312; and during the remaining twenty-five years of his
life he acted rather as if he were converting Christianity into what he
thought most likely to be accepted by his subjects as a catholic
religion, than as if he had been converted to the teachings of Jesus
the Nazarene.
The fact is that Constantine was favourable to our religion out of
policy rather than conviction; and if after refusing so long he did
indeed, a quarter of a century after the alleged vision, consent to be
baptised when ill and dying, policy doubtless swayed him even then.
Anyway, as has already been stated and will now be seen, the evidence
of his coins conclusively shows that the God to whom Constantine from
first to last attributed his victories, was--the Sun-God.
Upon one coin issued by Constantine we see upon the reverse a nude
figure crowned with rays, with the right hand elevated toward the east,
and a round object in the left hand. In the field is a cross widened at
the extremities, and the surrounding legend is a significant one, _Soli
Invicto Comiti_. This coin was struck years after the alleged
conversion of Constantine, and the combined reference to the Sun-God
and use of the cross are worthy of special notice.
Upon two somewhat similar coins of Constantine the cross is placed
within a circular wreath of bay or laurel.
On another coin with the same legend we see the same nude figure
crowned with rays, representing the Sun-God and carrying a round
object; while in the field we see the Gaulish symbol, sometimes called
a cross, which by the addition of a loop was, as we shall see later on,
turned into the so-called Monogram of Christ.
Upon a coin with the anything but Christian legend _Marti
Conservatori_, is a cross with four equal arms.
On a somewhat similar coin with the same legend, the helmet on the
reverse is ornamented with the so-called Monogram of Christ.
Upon another coin we see Mars leaning on a shield adorned with the
so-called Monogram of Christ, the legend being _Marti Patri
Conservator_.
On a coin issued in the name of his son Crispus during the reign of
Constantine, we see two Victories holding a shield upon a pedestal
marked with a cross of four equal arms.
A similar cross appears upon a coin issued during this reign in the
name of another son of Constantine.
Upon a coin bearing the inscription _Constantinus Max. Aug._ we see
upon the reverse a cross of four equal arms.
On an otherwise similar coin a compound _tau_ cross of four equal arms,
{image "taucross.gif"}, appears.
Upon a well-known engraving of a coin in the _Annales Ecclesiastici_ of
Baronius, the {image "monogram3.gif"} form of the so-called Monogram of
Christ appears upon the helmet of Constantine. Some authorities,
however, state that this is copied as the familiar {image
"monogram3.gif"} in error; what appeared on the helmet being the
Gaulish symbol {image "asterisk.gif"} with a dot representing a star
near the top of the vertical bar. Such a dot can be seen in a similar
place upon two or three coins bearing the legend _Virtus Exercit_.
On another coin the legend _Gloria Exercitus_ surrounds two soldiers
holding military standards, between which is the symbol of the cross.
On a somewhat similar coin the compound tan cross, of which we have
already noted an example, occurs between the standards.
A cross of four equal arms appears upon a coin bearing the legend _Pax
Publica_.
A coin issued during the reign of Constantine the Great in the name of
his son Constantine, has upon its reverse a cross of four equal arms,
the extremities of which are rounded.
On an otherwise similar coin the compound tau cross appears.
Upon a coin bearing the inscription _Constantinus Max. Aug._ a cross of
four equal arms occurs near a soldier armed with spear and shield.
On the reverse of one coin we see two soldiers holding military
standards, and between the standards the so-called Monogram of Christ
appears.
A coin of similar type was issued during the reign of Constantine the
Great in the name of his son Constantine.
Upon a coin which on the obverse bears the inscription _Constantinus
Max. Aug._, we see upon the reverse Victory carrying a palm. In the
field is the symbol {image "monogram4.gif"}. The surrounding motto is
_Victoria constantini Aug._
Several coins with the legend _Gloria Exercitus_ have upon the same
side two soldiers with a labarum or military standard between them,
upon the banner of which is the symbol {image "monogram4.gif"}.
On a coin with the legend _Victoria Caesar NN_ we see Victory carrying
a palm. In the field is the Gaulish symbol {image "asterisk.gif"}.
The reverse of another coin has the legend _Constantinus Aug._, and
represents Constantine as holding a labarum or military standard
terminating in a round object. Upon the banner is the symbol {image
"monogram4.gif"}.
On a coin bearing upon its obverse the inscription _Constantinopolis_,
we see upon the other side a figure of Victory and a cross of four
equal arms.
On another coin bearing the same legend we see upon the reverse Victory
standing upon a ship, and to the left the so-called monogram.
Upon another coin we see the same symbol above the wolf and twins of
the city of Rome.
A rare coin bears upon the obverse the inscription _Constantinus Max.
Aug._, and on the reverse, surrounded by the legend _Spes Publica_, a
labarum or military standard the handle or base of which transfixes a
serpent. Upon the banner three globules are embroidered, and the symbol
{image "monogram3.gif"} appears above the cross-bar from which the
banner hangs.
Upon one medal or coin of Constantine we see the significant legend
_Soli Invicto Aeterno Aug._ inscribed around the quadriga of the
Sun-God Phoebus.
On another piece struck by Constantine the Great, the Sun-God is given
the title _Comes Aug._; Companion, Guardian, or Saviour, of the
Emperor.
Upon several coins we see the legend _Comiti Aug. NN_, and, surrounded
by the same, the Sun-God holding a small round object.
On numerous other coins also, the Sun-God is represented as holding a
small round object.
Other significant Sun-God legends to be met upon the coins of this
alleged Christian Emperor, are _Comis Constantini Aug., Soli Invicto,
Soli Comiti Augg. NN, Soli Invicto Com. D.N._ and the like.
Upon a coin bearing the legend _Soli Comiti Aug. N._ we see the Sun-God
presenting Constantine with a small round object surmounted by a
Victory.
On a coin with the legend _Pax Augustorum_, Constantine holds a
standard ornamented with a cross.
Upon another coin Constantine is to be seen holding what is said to be
a representation of the Zodiac.
On a coin issued in his own name, as upon others already mentioned as
issued in the names of his sons, we see two Victories supporting a
shield upon an altar ornamented with a cross.
Upon a somewhat similar coin the altar is ornamented with the star-like
object which in days of old so often stood for the radiate sun.
A coin with the inscription _Divo Constantino_, and on the reverse the
legend _Aeterna Pietas_ and a representation of Constantine holding a
round object surmounted by the symbol {image "monogram4.gif"}, though
usually included in the coins of that Emperor was evidently struck
after his death and deification.
The same remark applies to a somewhat similar coin, which has an
additional symbol in a plain cross in the field to the right of the
Emperor-God.
It should be noted that the question here arises as to how far it is
fair of us to claim this cross and so-called Monogram of Christ as
Christian and at the same time denounce as Pagan the deification of
Constantine referred to upon the same coins.
As to the coins of Constantine the Great as a whole, it need only be
remarked once more that while upon many of the pieces struck by him
Constantine attributed his victories to the Sun-God, not upon a single
one of them did he attribute them to the Christ; while it was ever the
Sun-God and never the Christ whom he alluded to on his coins as his
Companion, Partner, Guardian, or Saviour.
This being so, how can we honestly claim that the so-called Monogram of
Christ, and other forms of the cross, were ever placed upon his coins
by Constantine as symbols of the Christ, yet never as symbols of the
Sun-God?