ITEM: Modern pendant with Constantius II Follis MATERIAL: Silver and bronze CULTURE: Roman PERIOD: 4th Century A.D DIMENSIONS: 17 mm diameter CONDITION: Good condition. Original coin within a modern handmade circular silver setting. PROVENANCE: Ex Belgian private collection, acquired in the 1990s COIN DESCRIPTION: Constantius II AE follis. CONSTAN-TIVS AVG, pearl-diademed head right / GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS, two soldiers holding spears and shields with one standard between them. Mintmark SMANAI. Antioch RIC VIII 56, AI 15mm 1.48g Comes with Certificate of Authenticity. Constantine II, born Flavius Claudius Constantinus in 316 AD, was the eldest son of Constantine the Great and Fausta. RaiConstantius II was the second son of Constantine the Great and Fausta, rising to the rank of Caesar at a young age before becoming Augustus following his father’s death in 337. His path to sole emperorship was marked by the violent elimination of several male relatives and a complex division of the empire with his brothers, Constantine II and Constans. After his brothers perished in civil conflicts and rebellions, Constantius eventually emerged as the undisputed ruler of the Roman world by 353. His reign was characterized by a relentless effort to maintain central authority during a period of significant fragmentation and external pressure. The reign of Constantius II was dominated by persistent warfare on two major fronts: the Sasanian Empire in the East and Germanic tribes along the Rhine and Danube frontiers. Unlike his father, who favored decisive field battles, Constantius often employed a strategy of defensive fortification and containment, particularly against the Persian King Shapur II. Internally, he expanded the imperial bureaucracy and established Constantinople as a fully functioning capital with its own Senate, effectively shifting the Roman political gravity eastward. He was also known for his reliance on a network of court officials and eunuchs, which created a highly structured but often paranoid atmosphere within the imperial palace. Deeply involved in the theological disputes of his time, Constantius II was a staunch supporter of Arianism (or more specifically, Homoian theology), which put him at odds with the pro-Nicene factions of the Church. He frequently intervened in ecclesiastical affairs, exileing prominent bishops like Athanasius of Alexandria to enforce religious unity across the empire. While he was often criticized by contemporary historians as being overly suspicious and easily influenced, modern scholars view him as a conscientious and hardworking administrator who successfully held the empire together during a volatile transition. He died of a fever in 361 while marching to confront his cousin and successor, Julian.