Obverse: FL IVL CRISPVS NOB CAES; Laureate and Draped Bust of Crispus
Facing Right
Reverse: CAESARVM NOSTRORVM; A Wreath Encircling the Text, VOT X
Flavius Julius Crispus was born in 303 A.D., the eldest son of Constantine
the Great and his first wife Minervina. He was named Caesar in 316 A.D.,
served as Consul three times, and governed Gaul in 320 A.D. Crispus was
also an able and popular military commander, leading forces to victory
against Germanic barbarians as well as commanding the naval fleet
during the final war against Licinius and his son. Unfortunately, Crispus’
promising life was cut short when he was executed in 326 A.D. at his
father’s command. Apparently, his step-mother, Fausta, accused him of
having an affair with her. However, it seems as though she really just
wanted to get Crispus out of the way so that her sons would be first in
line for the throne. When it was determined that Fausta was lying, she
too was executed.
How many hands have touched a coin in your pocket or purse? What eras
and lands have the coin traversed on its journey into our possession? As
we reach into our pockets to pull out some change, we rarely hesitate to
think of who might have touched the coin before us, or where the coin
will venture to after it leaves our hands. More than money, coins are a
symbol of the state that struck them, of a specific time and location,
whether contemporary currencies or artifacts of a long forgotten empire.
This stunning hand-struck coin reveals an expertise of craftsmanship and
intricate sculptural detail that is often lacking in contemporary machine-
made currencies. This ancient coin is a memorial to Crispus, passed from
the hands of civilization to civilization, from generation to generation that
still appears as vibrant today as the day it was struck.
