Constantius II, 337-361. Solidus (Gold, 21 mm, 4.48 g, 6 h), Rome, 355-357. FL IVL CONST-ANTIVS P F AVG Helmeted, pearl-diademed and cuirassed bust of Constantius II facing, his head turned slightly to right, holding spear over his shoulder in his right hand and with a shield, decorated with a floral pattern, on his left shoulder. Rev. GLORIA REI PVBLICAE / RSMЄ(palm) Roma, helmeted, seated facing on the left, holding spear in her left hand, and Constantinopolis, turreted, seated to left with her right foot on prow on the right, holding scepter in her left hand, supporting between them a shield inscribed VOT / XXX / MVLT / XXXX. Depeyrot 14/1. RIC 293. A spectacular piece in the finest Rome mint style. Lustrous, sharply struck, and with a magnificent portrait. A few tiny marks, otherwise, virtually as struck.


The exceptional gold coinage of Constantius II from Rome may be connected with the emperor’s visit to the old capital in April and May 357, though it probably began somewhat earlier. What sets it apart from the issues of other mints are above all the unusual shield decorations. Instead of the familiar horseman spearing a fallen foe, we find simpler shields adorned with a wide variety of ornamental motifs, most of which appear to derive originally from a floral design, as seen so prominently on the present magnificent specimen.

Rome, however, seems to have given no precise instructions regarding the rendering of the shields. On the present piece we find a splendid round shield with a double border, while lots 296 and 297 show simpler, almost star-like patterns within a single border. Lots 298 and 299 depict triangular shields adorned with either floral motifs or simple point-and-line elements. Other specimens reveal further variations - blossoms, stars, and additional decorative forms. Neither Depeyrot nor RIC differentiates these variants, yet they offer a particularly intriguing field of study for the specialist collector.