Owner Comments:
Constantius II (317 – 361 AD) was the middle of three sons born to Constantine the Great and Fausta. His younger brother was Constans, and his elder brother was Constantine II; he also had an older stepbrother, Crispus. Over the course of his long reign, the elder Constantine gradually divided power among his relations, starting in 317 AD when he elevated Crispus and Constantine II to co-Caesars. In 324 AD, Constantius was added to the list. This brought the total number of co-Caesars to three — at least until 326 AD, when Constantine had Crispus executed.
This coin was minted shortly thereafter, probably sometime in 326 – 327 AD in Nicomedia. Constantius was only about ten years old at the time, which is consistent with the youthful obverse portrait bust. The epithet also reflects that, at the time the coin was minted, Constantius’s title was noble Caesar, or NOB C.
On the reverse is a campgate, a popular numismatic motif for coins of the Constantinian dynasty. The campgate represented the protection afforded by the military, for example, against barbarian incursions. The camp was typically a structure composed of stone blocks, sometimes featuring a solid door, or, as on this coin, merely an open archway. On top were a varying number of structures typically referred to as “turrets.” On this coin, there are two turrets (since the camp is depicted in two dimensions, there were likely four in reality, one atop each corner). These turrets were actually beacons, or large kettles, that were lighted during times of attack. They would subsequently signal, by fire or smoke, any other line-of-sight camps (usually situated atop hills or other strategic locations). The next station, upon seeing the signal, would in turn light its beacons, rapidly moving the message down the line of the frontier.
On the reverse of the coin is also a star, situated above and between the turrets, yet another symbol that fits with the campgate beacons. Along with the reverse legend, PROVIDENTIAE CAESS, the motif conveys providence, or forethought, in this case related to the young Caesar. The message perfectly aligns with the campgate system itself, which allowed Roman military leaders to exercise the forethought necessary to rapidly communicate and respond to external threats.
Yet, the orderly defense promised by this campgate stands in stark dissonance with the reality of Constantius II’s later reign. After his father’s death in 337 AD, Constantius secured his power through a ruthless purge of his own family members, including his uncle and cousins. As Constantius II evolved from a young Caesar to a hardened, paranoid Augustus, his coinage evolved as well. The stable, defensive campgate would give way to a more dynamic and brutally offensive motif destined to become one of the most iconic in all ancient Roman numismatics.
Coin Details: ROMAN EMPIRE, Constantius II, 337-361, As Caesar, Struck in Nicomedia 326-327 AD, Æ3 (BI Nummus) (3.12 g), NGC Grade: MS, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 4/5, Obverse: Laureate, draped & cuirassed bust left, FL IVL CONSTANTIVS NOB C, Reverse: Campgate with six layers, two turrets, no doors, star above, PROVIDEN-TIAE CAES dot, NB in exergue, Reference: RIC VII 147.
Image: Sony ɑ 7R Ⅴ camera / Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS lens.