In AD 330, Constantine the Great formally dedicated Constantinople as a new imperial capital on the site of ancient Byzantium. The city occupied a strategically important position between Europe and Asia and would become the political center of the eastern Roman Empire. To commemorate the two cities, Constantine introduced a series of bronze coins honoring both Rome and Constantinople. The VRBS ROMA issues depicted the helmeted personification of Roma, while the companion CONSTANTINOPOLIS series featured the personification of the new capital.

The reverse of this coin depicts one of Rome's most recognizable foundation legends: the she-wolf nursing the twins Romulus and Remus. According to Roman tradition, the twins were sons of Mars and the Vestal Virgin Rhea Silvia. Their great-uncle Amulius, fearing a challenge to his throne, ordered the infants abandoned along the Tiber River. They were discovered and nursed by a she-wolf before being raised by the shepherd Faustulus. The brothers later set out to establish a city, but a dispute over its foundation resulted in the death of Remus. Romulus became the city's first king, traditionally founding Rome in 753 BC.