Roman Bronze, Cross Reverse, Division of the Empire

Apologies everyone, these sold out quick. We plan on offering more soon!

In 380 CE, Christianity was declared the official state religion of the Roman Empire. However, by that time, Christianity had already been established in Rome for centuries, and some of its symbols had even been included on the empire's coinage. Notably, the Christogram (⳩)—formed from the first two letters of "Christ" in the Greek alphabet—first appeared on coins issued by Constantine the Great in the early 4th century, often seen side-by-side with traditional Roman deities.

However, the cross had gained popularity as a religious symbol by the early 5th century, and it saw increased use compared to the Christogram. The small bronze coins issued under Arcadius, Honorius, and Theodosius II reflect this change in sentiment, featuring a lone cross within lettering or a wreath on the reverse.

These coins were also produced at a time of great change for the Roman Empire. In 395 CE, Rome split into two distinct states: the Western Roman Empire, governed from the city of Rome, and the Eastern Roman Empire, with Constantinople as its capital. Though the empire had already been split and reunited many times before, the division would prove to be permanent this time. Rome's sprawling territories had become hard to defend and govern from any one city, as it stretched from the British Isles to the Middle East.

Though the Western Roman Empire later fell in 476 CE, the Eastern Roman Empire prevailed, evolving into what we now know as the Byzantine Empire.

Each includes a Certificate of Authenticity and is guaranteed genuine.