Earliest Christian Symbols on Ancient Coins

                                              

                        Silver medallion from Ticinum 

For more than 1600 years, the "Cross" has been the most recognizable symbol of Christianity. But this was not so in the first few hundred years after Jesus Christ, around 30 and 33 CE. Rather than the cross, the earliest Christian symbol used on coins was the superimposed Greek letters chi (X) and rho (P) and represents the first two letters of Christ in Greek. This type of monogram is called a Christogram.

                                               

                          Chrismon or Christogram

The immediate cause for the adoption of the Christogram is said to have been the vision of Constantine before the battle at the Mivian Bridge in 312 AD.                               

In the battle the symbol was written on the shields of soldiers, but soon Constantine gave it a wider use by decorating his helmet with it. 

                                              

Silver medallion from Ticinum depicting Constantine wearing a battle helmet with a small chi-rho in the central roundel, 315 CE (image courtesy State Hermitage Museum)                                 

On this Medallion Constantine wears a helmet crested with peacocks' feathers and a Christogram within a circle in front and a shield with the Capitoline Wolf, the symbol of Rome. This is the oldest representation of the cypher in a military context (315 AD). The combination of the Christogram and the Capitoline wolf meant "Christian Roman Army". 

                      

The Christogram on the helmet and the Capitoline wolf on the shield

The first type to refer to Christianity was struck in 327-328 AD, under Constantine. It has provoked many scholarly articles. This coin must have been very unpopular when it was issues in 326 AD because it was almost immediately discontinued. 'SPES' means "hope" and had appeared on coins earlier too. But a snake, interpreted as a symbol of evil, with the head of the snake drooping is interpreted to Constantine who talked about serpent as the Devil.  

    

                        

Constantine, 327-328 AD, weight 2.9 gm

Obverse: Constantine head right

Reverse: SPES PVBLIC across the field with A in the lower left field and chi-rho topping a standard with three dots on the vexillum planted in a serpent with head downwards.

 

The first fully Christian design. Magnentius (350-353 AD) issued a coin in the chi-rho type. Not only is the chi-rho a Christian reference, but so is the alpha (A) and omega (w) pair. Alpha is the first letter in Greek alphabet and omega is the last. In the book of Revelation (1:8) it says, 'I am the alpha and the omega, the first and the last, and it refers to Jesus.

                                               

Magnentius, 350-353 AD, weight 8.8 gm

Obverse: Bust of Magnentius, head bare, legend around

Reverse: Large chi-rho with alpha and omega on either side, TRS, is the mint mark for Trier

                                            

Chi-Rho symbol with Alpha and Omega on a 4th Century sarcophagus (Vatican Museums) 

                                             

The Greek letters alpha and omega surround the halo of Jesus in the catacombs of Rome from the 4th Century.

                                               

The Chi-Rho symbol with alpha and omega, Catacombs of Domitilla, Rome

The first overtly Christian legend. In 350 AD, the first type with an overtly Christian legend occurs. Vetranio, ruler in the Balkans during the reign of Constantius II, issued the one with the legend "HOC SIGNO VICTOR ERIS" referring to " the sign "you will be victorious", the vision of Constantine prior to the battle of the Milvian bridge on October 28, 312 AD. This had shown a standard with a chi-rho, called a labarum. 

                                              

Vetranio, 350 CE, weight 5.0 g

Obverse: Bust of Vetranio right, draped and cuirassed, legend around

Reverse: Victory crowning emperor holding standard with chi-rho, A in field left, ASIS, mintmark for Siscia mint  

Chi-rho on the shield. Crispus was the first son of Constantine and was executed in 326 AD. This coin struck in 322-323 AD, depicts a bold chi-rho symbol on the shield held by Crispus.

                                              

Crispus, 322-323 AD,

Obverse: Bust of Crispus left holding spear in his right hand pointing back over his shoulder and holding a shield in his left hand. The shield has a bold chi-rho on it.

Reverse: Legend around votive altar with globe on top, PTR, a mintmark of Trier

 

Christian Symbols. There were four Christian symbols on the Roman coins of the fourth century. The chi-rho, cross (square of long), cross-rho and the hand of God (without and with wreath).

Cross                                             

Constantine, 307-337 AD, struck in 316 AD, weight 2.8 g

Obverse: Constantine bust facing left, legend around

Reverse: Sol (companion of the Sun god) standing left raising right hand and holding globe in left, legend around with a cross in the left field

    

Cross rho                                            

FEL TEMP REPARATIO "emperor and two captives"

Constantius II, struck 348-351 AD, weight 3.7 gm 

Obverse: Constantius II bust facing left with legend around

Reverse: Emperor standing left, holding standard with symbol (cross, chi-rho, or cross-rho), resting left hand on shield behind, two kneeling captives to left with cross on standard, Mintmark ANE, in field

                           

                                           

Constantius II at Siscia struck under Vetranio,  weight 4.7 gm

Obverse: Bust facing left, 

Reverse: Emperor standing left, holding standards with symbol (cross, chi-rho, or cross-rho),

                                  

Constantius II, 348-350 AD, 

Obverse: Constantius II, facing left with legend around

Reverse: Emperor standing left, holding standard with symbol (cross, chi-rho, or cross-rho), resting left hand on shield behind, two kneeling captives to left with cross on standard, Mintmark ANE, in field

However, a few Numismatists after their research have unearthed a large bronze coin of Ptolemy IV, 222-205 BC, having a chi-rho depicted on it, which they say is obviously before the birth of Christ. 

                          

                                          

Ptolemy IV, 222-205 BCE, weight 70 gm

Obverse: Bust of Zeus right, diademed

Reverse: Eagle standing left on thunderbolt, with wings folded, cornucopia before in left field, chi-rho between legs, ref Hazzard, Ptolemaic coins, fig 100, page 67 

Hand of God. It first appeared on coins after the death of Constantine in 337 AD on a "deification" issue struck by his sons.

                                            

Constantine, 337-340 AD, weight 1.7 gm

Obverse: Veiled head of Constantine, legend around

Reverse: Emperor in biga right being received by the hand of God reaching down from the sky, SMALT, mintmark of Alexandria, Egypt

Later after Christianity was well established, a coin of Arcadius, struck in 383, has a clear hand of God holding wreath crowning the emperor.

                                                

Arcadius, 383-408 AD, struck in 383 AD, first issue, weight 4.5 gm

Obverse: Bust of Arcadius right, holding spear forward and left holding shield, hand of God above crowning him with a wreath, legend around

Reverse: Emperor standing front, facing left holding standard and resting left of shield at feet a captive, mintmark CONT, Constantinople

Eyes to Heaven. This type was interpreted by ancients as Christians and were struck in 328 AD. The head is tilted backwards which allows him to look upwards towards heaven.

                                            

Constantine, struck 328 AD, weight 3.16 gm.

Obverse: Portrait of Constantine with head tilted back to raise his eyes to heaven

Reverse: Victory seated left, captive to left below, trophy in field, mint mark CONS, B in left field, Constantinople

 

The Cross type. In the 5th century it was common to have a cross on the coins 

                                            

Arcadius, 338-408 AD, weight 0.8 g

Obverse: Arcadius bust facing right with legend around

Reverse: Cross with legend around

 

Numerous Byzantine rulers featured crosses on their coins. A gold coin of Tiberius II Constantine (578-582 AD) showed the emperor holding a scepter surmounted by a cross.

                                           

Tiberius II Constantine 578-582 AD, gold solidus

Obverse: Crowned bust of Tiberius II Constantine holding an eagle tipped scepter surmounted by a cross, his name and titles in Greek

Reverse: Cross upon four steps with the Greek for "Tiberius the Victor" 

 

The first portrait of Jesus was used on a coin struck in 692 AD, under Justinian II. This was about 300 years after the Christian Cross began to appear on Roman coins. 

                                               

Justinian II, 692-695 AD, gold solidus

Obverse: Jesus Christ King of Kings facing with long hair and beard wearing pallium and tunic, raising his right hand in benediction, holding book of Gospels, bars of cross behind his head

Reverse: Justinian, servant of Christ, emperor stands facing, wearing crown and loros, holding akakia and cross potent on base.

 

   

Christian Symbols on Ancient 

 Alpha Omega