Roman Empire

Constantius II, Co-Emperor AD 337-361

RIC 291; Depeyrot 13/1, Extremely Fine

Rome, AD 355-357. FL IVL CONST-ANTIVS P F AVG, helmeted and cuirassed bust of Constantius II facing slightly right, holding spear over shoulder and ornate shield. Reverse: GLORIA REI-PVBLICAE, Roma and Constantinopolis enthroned facing, supporting between them a shield inscribed VOT/XXX/MVLT/XXXX in four lines; Constantinopolis holding scepter and resting foot on prow, Roma holding spear; (palm)RSMP(palm).

Ex Spink 4018 (6 October 2004), 262

The armored three-quarter facing bust type used by Constantius II and the present solidus builds on earlier profile heroic military types of the third century AD, originally intended to present the Emperor as a sort of latter-day Alexander the Great. Although not a commonplace bust type for the coinage of Constantius II, the powerful facing form ultimately served as the model for the armored bust types that became popular for Byzantine coins of the sixth century AD.