Seaton Down Hoard coin, nummus commemorating Rome

A nummus of the type that weighed 1/132 of a pound. It is one of the coins from the Seaton Down Hoard made around AD 330-335 in Lyon, modern France, and issued by the House of Constantine.

This coin was minted to commemorate Rome, the old capital of the Roman world. It was designed to reassure people that, although Rome was no longer the sole capital of the Roman world, it was still a significant city. The importance of this message meant there was a vast amount of coinage struck with this image during this period. The image on the head side of the coin shows the personification of Rome, in the form of a woman wearing a helmet. The image on the reverse depicts a she-wolf suckling twins Romulus and Remus, the mythological founders of Rome, with the twin stars Castor and Pollux above them. This twin imagery may have been chosen to symbolise the twin capitals of the Roman Empire, Rome in the West and Constantinopolis in the East.

RAMM acquired the Seaton Down hoard with help from a generous donation by Patrick and Sally Long, Clinton Devon Estates, Thomson Reuters, Devon County Council and many members of the public. Patrick and Sally Long were particularly keen that the coins are preserved for inspiration and wonder of children.
The conservation and display of the hoard and a project to engage with East Devon schools and communities was funded by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund with further public donations.