R23781 Constantius II

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Roman Empire

Ruler:

Constantius II as Eastern Augustus

Reigned:

Caesar 324-337 AD: Augustus 337-361 AD

Denomination:

AV Solidus

Mint:

Antioch 1st officina

Date of Issue:

355 - 361 AD

Obverse:

Diademed, helmeted, and cuirassed bust facing slightly right, holding spear over right shoulder and shield; "FL. IVL. CONSTAN-TIVS PERP. AVG."

Reverse:

Roma seated facing and Constantinopolis seated slightly left, with foot on prow, each holding sceptre and supporting shield between them inscribed "VOT/XX/MVLT/XXX" in four lines; "GLORIA-REI-PVBLICAE"

Mint marks:


SMANA •

Reference:

RIC VIII 162; Depeyrot 9/1

Weight:

4.42 gms

Nominal Weight:

4.5 gms

Diameter:

20.6 mm

CONSTANTIUS II (Flavius Julius Constantius)

Flavius Julius Constantinus was the second son of Constantine I and Fausta.

He was raised to the rank of Caesar in 324.

Constantine died on 22nd May 337, and his surviving sons, Constantine II, Constantius II and Constans succeeded him, each with the title Augustus (9th September 337).

Constantius was given the eastern provinces of the Empire.

For most of his reign, he was involved in wars with Shapur II, Sassanid king of Persia.

When Constans was murdered by a usurper, Magnetius, in 350, Constantius took his army to the Balkans, where he defeated Magnentius at the Battle of Mursa (Osijek, Croatia) and so in 351 became the sole ruler of the empire.

In 361, on hearing that his cousin, Julian, had been declared Emperor by his troops in Paris, he marched his army west but in Cilicia, was struck down by a fever and died at Mopsucrene on 3rd November 361.

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R23781