Modern Silver Pendente com Fólis de Constantino II (Sem preço de reserva)

ITEM: Modern pendant with Constantinus II Follis
MATERIAL: Silver and bronze
CULTURE: Roman
PERIOD: 4th Century A.D
DIMENSIONS: 19mm diameter
CONDITION: Good condition. Original coin within a modern handmade circular silver setting.
PROVENANCE: Ex Belgian private collection, acquired in the 1990s

COIN DESCRIPTION: Constantinus II (Caesar:317-337) Follis. Obverse: CONSTANTINVS IVN NOB C, Laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right. Reverse: GLORIA EXERCITVS, two Soldiers standing front, heads turned inward at two standards between them 18mm 2.64g

Comes with Certificate of Authenticity.

Constantine II, born Flavius Claudius Constantinus in 316 AD, was the eldest son of Constantine the Great and Fausta. Raised in the shadow of his father’s monumental legacy, he was named Caesar at a very young age, signaling his role in the future of the Flavian dynasty. Upon the death of his father in 337 AD, he and his two brothers, Constantius II and Constans, divided the Roman Empire among themselves. Constantine II received the westernmost provinces—Gaul, Britain, and Hispania—ruling from his court in Trier and positioning himself as the senior Augustus due to his age.

Despite his senior status, his reign was defined by a bitter and eventually fatal rivalry with his youngest brother, Constans. Constantine II viewed himself as a guardian over his younger sibling, who governed Italy and North Africa, and he frequently attempted to exert authority over Constans’ administrative decisions. This fraternal tension escalated when Constantine II demanded territorial concessions in Africa and Italy, claiming that his share of the empire was insufficient. His desire to maintain the traditional hierarchy of seniority led to a diplomatic breakdown that the brothers could not resolve through decree alone.

The conflict reached its climax in 340 AD when Constantine II launched a preemptive invasion of Italy while Constans was occupied in the Danubian provinces. However, the campaign was poorly managed; Constantine’s forces were ambushed near Aquileia by a detachment of his brother’s vanguard. During the skirmish, Constantine II was killed, and his body was reportedly thrown into the river Alsa. His death left Constans as the master of the West and marked the first major crack in the triarchic system Constantine the Great had hoped would preserve his family's grip on power.