Constantine I 'the Great' BI Nummus. Treveri, AD 323-324. CONSTANTINVS AVG, laureate head to right / SARMATIA DEVICTA, Victory advancing to right, holding trophy and palm, pushing captive to ground; PTR(crescent) in exergue. RIC VII 435 corr. (palm). 3.26g, 19mm, 12h.
Extremely Fine.
From the inventory of Roma Numismatics Ltd.
This reverse type, which was also produced in silver, alludes to Constantine's victories in the 'second phase' of the Sarmatian War (roughly AD 322-3). According to Zosimus (lib. 2), the Emperor led a vast army out from his general headquarters at Thessalonica and managed to drive the Sarmatae, who had been raiding the territories of Moesia Inferior and Thrace, back beyond the Danube. Constantine then instructed his army to pursue the routed enemy, which prevented them from rallying and reorganising, before crushing them once more, this time taking thousands captive and killing their king, Rausimodus.