DN IOVIANVS PF AVG, pearl diademed, draped, cuirassed bust left / VOT V within wreath, mintmark HERACB. 19mm, 2.57 grams. Heraclea mint. RIC VIII Heraclea 108; Sear 19218.

Jovian (Flavius Jovianus, r. 363–364 CE) was a Roman emperor who came to power unexpectedly after the death of Julian during a failed campaign against the Sasanian Empire. A senior officer in the imperial guard, Jovian was proclaimed emperor by the army. Facing a dire military situation deep in enemy territory, he quickly negotiated a controversial peace treaty with the Persians, surrendering key territories to secure the army’s safe withdrawal. A Christian, he restored imperial support for Christianity after Julian’s pagan revival. Jovian’s reign was brief; he died suddenly in early 364 CE, possibly from accidental poisoning or suffocation, while en route to Constantinople.