Flavius Valerius Constantinus, Caesar 306 - 307, Augustus 307 - 337

The son of Constantius I , Constantine was proclaimed emperor  at York on the death of his father. Wisely, he accepted only the title Caesar,  as offered to him by the Augustus of the east, Galerius. Severus II was raised  to Augustus to be the senior western emperor. When Severus was defeated by the  rebels under Maxentius and Maximian in 307, Constantine was raised to the rank  of Augustus. Following the conference of Carnuntum (see under Maximian ),  Constantine was demoted to Caesar and Licinius was appointed as Augustus in  the west. Eventually, with the threat of civil war hanging over him, Galerius   had to placate Constantine by recognizing him as Augustus in 309. In 312,  Constantine marched against Maxentius , and defeated him at the battle of the  Milvian Bridge. In 313, Constantine and Licinius jointly issued the Edict of  Milan, granting complete religious tolerance throughout the empire. This is  the point from which the Christianising of the empire began. Meanwhile, the  Augustus of the east, Maximinus II, invaded the territory of Licinius, but was  totally defeated, leaving the empire in the hands of Constantine and Licinius .  The relationship between the two emperors was never easy, but a relatively  tranquil period of ten years ensued before the two met in two final and  decisive battles in 324. Constantine spared the life of Licinius and his son  (Licinius II , appointed Caesar by his father in 317)who were allowed to retire into private  life. The elder Licinius soon began plotting, however, and was exiled and  eventually executed. The whole empire was now under the control of a single  Augustus, his four sons (Crispus, made Caesar in 317, Constantine II, made  Caesar in 317, Constantius II, made Caesar in 324 and Constans, made Caesar in  333) and two nephews (Delmatius , made Caesar in 335 and Hanniballianus, made Rex in 335) Whilst preparing a war against Persia in 337, Constantine fell ill and  died. On his deathbed, he became the first Roman Emperor to convert to  Christianity. Despite this, he was proclaimed a god by the senate.

As Augustus

	AE3 Obv:  Laureate  bust of Constantine, right.  CONSTANTINVS AVG Rev : Camp gate with two turrets. No door detail, 34 bricks, star between turrets. PROVIDENTIAE AVGG AD 310 - 324
	AE3 Obv:  Laureate  bust of Constantine, right.  CONSTANTINVS AVG Rev : Camp gate with two turrets. No door detail, 35 bricks, star between turrets. PROVIDENTIAE AVGG AD 310 - 324
	AE3 Obv:  Helmeted, laureate bust of Constantinopolis, wearing imperial mantle and carrying a sceptre. CONSTANTINOPOLIS Rev : Victory advancling left carrying spear, hand resting on a shield, standing on ship's prow.   cAD 330 These coins, along with the Urbs Roma variety were struck to commemorate the moving of the capital of the empire from Rome to Constantinople.
	AE Follis Obv: Laureate bust of  Constantine, right.  IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG Rev : Jupiter,  standing left, holding victory. At his feet to the left, an eagle holding  a wreath in its beak, right. IOVI CONSERVATORI  Jove, or Jupiter, was the chief  god in the Roman pantheon.   AD 307 - 330
	AE Reduced  Follis or AE3 Obv:  Helmeted,  laureate and cuirassed bust of Constantine, right.  IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG Rev : Two victories  holding a shield inscribed VOT/PR over an altar. VICTORIAE LAETAE PRINC PERP  RIC 173 AD 307 - 337
	AE3 Obv:  Diademed  and cuirassed bust of Constantine, right.  IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG Rev : Two soldiers,  each holding a standard. A wreath between them. GLORIA EXERCITVS  RIC173 AD 330 - 335
	AE Reduced  Follis or AE3 Obv:  Helmeted bust of  Roma, left.  VRBS ROMA Rev : Twins (Romulus  and Remus) being suckled by a she-wolf.  This commemorative issue  honours the city of Rome, at the time when the capital of the empire was  being moved to Constantinople. These were issued alongside the  Constantinopolis issue in huge nubers during the 330s.  cAD 330
	AE3 Obv:  Diademed  and cuirassed bust of Constantine, right.  CONSTANTINVS MAX AVG Rev : Two soldiers,  each holding a standard. GLORIA EXERCITVS AD 330 - 335  Here Constantine uses his own modest title "MAXIMVS AVGVSTVS" or "Greatest of emperors"
	AE4 Obv:  Shrouded bust of  Constantine, right.  DV CONSTANTINVS PT AVGG Rev : Standing figure  of Constantine, shrouded and facing right. VN MR  A commemorative coin issued on  the consecration (deification) of the dead Constantine I c AD 337
	AE4 Obv:  Shrouded bust of  Constantine, right.  DV CONSTANTINVS PT AVGG Rev : Constantine, in a quadriga, ascending into heaven. The hand of God reaches down to receive him.    A commemorative coin issued on  the consecration (deification) of the dead Constantine I. Constantine was the only man in history to be both deified and canonised. This coin has confused imagery of Constantine ascending into a Christian heaven, but also bears the legend "DV CONSTANTINVS" (the god Constantine) Constantine made a further appearance on coins of the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire as St. Constantine. c AD 337