Constantine II, as Caesar, 316-337. Solidus (Gold, 19 mm, 4.36 g, 6 h), Ticinum, early 326. Diademed head of Constantine II to right. Rev. CONSTANTI-NVS CAESAR / SMT Victory advancing left, holding wreath in her right hand and palm frond in her left. Depeyrot 19/4. RIC 195. Very rare. A wonderful issue with an attractive anepigraphic obverse and a lovely juvenile portrait of the young Caesar. Minor traces of mounting, otherwise, nearly extremely fine.




This beautiful coin is part of a dynastic issue with anepigraphic obverses struck in 326. P. Bastien assigned these to Constantine's reiterated vicennalia on July 326 in Rome; however, the inclusion of Crispus to the series dates it to before March/May of the same year, when Constantine's oldest son was executed in Pola at the behest of his father (see above, lot 1741). The issue was likely struck on the occasion of Constantine's seventh and Constantius' first consulate on 1 January 326, or in celebration of the decennalia of Crispus and Constantine II on 1 March of the same year.