Roman Bronze Coins

Constantine II was the eldest son of Constantine the Great, he was Roman Emperor from 337 until his death in 340 AD. After his father’s death, the empire was divided among Constantine II and his brothers, Constantius II and Constans. Constantine II ruled over Gaul, Britannia, and Hispania. His reign was marked by tensions with his brothers, culminating in a failed attempt to assert dominance over Constans’ territories. In 340 AD, Constantine II invaded Italy but was ambushed and killed near Aquileia. His rule was relatively short and tumultuous, overshadowed by the internal strife that characterised the early years of the post-Constantinian empire. Here we are offering his Follis in mint state, a grade which a very difficult grade to find when it comes to 4th century coinage. You can see every bit of detail on these beautiful coins.

From the series of the famous Constantinian Dynasty, we are now offering Constantine II, the son who thought that he should have ruled alone as the eldest. Probably born in A.D. 316 to Constantine the Great, Constantine Junior was raised to the rank of Caesar very young in A.D. 317, showing some military prowess in the next 20 years. On the death of his father in A.D. 337, he was made Senior Augustus and given Spain, Gaul, and Britain to rule. He thought he deserved more so set out to take from his younger brother, Constans, in Italy. But Constantine was ambushed by his brother’s troops and killed in A.D. 340, lasting only three years. We offer bronze coins struck A.D. 330-337 with the reverse ‘GLORIA EXERCITVS’ or ‘Glory to the Army’. Here we offer the coin in Very Fine, very reasonable for a coin almost 2,000 years old. Get it now, so you won't feel jealous later...

Galerius as Caesar. A.D. 293-305., Rome - A.D. 294-297. Billon Follis. Laureate bust right / 'GENIO POPVLI ROMANI' Genius stg. left holding patera & cornucopiae. Very Fine with silvering.

Hadrian (A.D. 117-138) was one of the most able and conscientious Roman Emperors. He spent his reign visiting the vast majority of his provinces. Consolidating and strengthening the Empire’s defenses after the expansion by his predecessor, Trajan. The most famous example of his work was Hadrian’s Wall! Which spread from the River Tyne in the East to the River Solway in the West: at 73 miles (117.5 kilometers) it is the largest Roman monument anywhere in the world! Own a Roman bronze coin of Hadrian called an ‘As’. These are well circulated, I.E. Very Good grade, and at a very reasonable price. The coins have his portrait visible but please don’t expect a lot more at this price.

Maxentius was born around A.D. 283 to the Emperor Maximian who ruled the Roman Empire with Diocletian in the Tetrarchy system. They retired in A.D. 305 and Maxentius was ignored by the new senior emperor, Galerius, in the reshuffle, so in A.D. 306 he seized power in Rome, eventually coaxing his father from retirement for support. He formed an alliance with Constantine (the Great) leaving him in control of Italy and North Africa and Constantine in Britain, France & Spain. Maxentius seized power in A.D. 306 because Galerius tried to disband the Praetorian Guard and tax Rome for the first time in 400 years; Maxentius said he would protect tradition and he was made emperor with an army! We offer his bronze coin in Very Fine which states this directly on the reverse with ‘CONSERV VRB SVAE’ meaning ‘the Preserver / Protector of His City’ around the goddess Roma in a six-column temple. These coins were struck in Rome between A.D. 307-311 and found in Cambridgeshire in the 1970s, museum conserved, and later sold to a dealer who sat on them for years until he sold them to us. It always amazes us that you can buy a coin knowing where and when it was made, who by and why, and a direct link to someone in Britain over 1700 years ago.

Maximianus. A.D. 286-305., Trier - A.D. 297. Æ Follis. Laureate head right / 'GENIO POPVLI ROMANI' Genius stg. left holding cornucopiae & patera. Cracked flan, Very Fine.

Vetranio. A.D. 350. Siscia. Billon Maiorina. Laureate bust right / 'HOC SIGNO VICTOR ERIS' Vetranio standing left holding Chi-Rho banner & spear, being crowned by Victory on right. Extremely Fine & Scarce. A clear link to Constantine with 'under this sign you shall conqueror' in latin.