City Commemorative AD 330-333. Heraclea
Follis Æ

18 mm, 2,18 g

VRBS ROMA, helmeted bust left / Lupa Romana suckling Romulus and Remus; two stars above, •SMHE• in exergue.

Good Very Fine

RIC 124.

The Urbs Roma coin was created to honor and celebrate the founding of Rome. It was minted by Emperor Constantine and his successors, with a specific purpose of highlighting the historical continuity of Rome, especially after Constantine established Constantinople as the new capital of the Roman world. The coin's design was a departure from the traditional imperial Roman coins used in the preceding three centuries. Unlike the typical imperial coins featuring the bust of the ruling Emperor, the Urbs Roma coin portrayed the bust of Roma, the goddess personifying the city of Rome itself. This choice was a deliberate homage to the founding and significance of Rome as the original center of the Roman Empire. The coin symbolized the enduring importance of Rome and its legacy, even as the empire's administrative center shifted to Constantinople. By featuring Roma's bust, the coin aimed to reinforce the continuity of ancient Roman culture and tradition despite the changes in the empire's political and administrative structures.