DN CONSTAN-TIVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right / FEL TEMP - REPARATIO, soldier spearing a fallen bare-headed horseman who is extending his left hand towards the soldier, R·M·S mintmark. 17mm, 2.2 grams. Rome mint, struck ca.353-354 AD. RIC VIII 314.

Constantius II (317–361 CE) was a Roman emperor and the second son of Constantine the Great. After Constantine’s death in 337 CE, Constantius II ruled the eastern provinces while his brothers controlled the west. Through a combination of civil wars and political maneuvering, he eventually became sole emperor by 353 CE. His reign was marked by continuous external threats, particularly from the Persian Empire under Shapur II, and by internal religious conflict, as he supported Arian Christianity, often clashing with proponents of Nicene orthodoxy. Constantius II was known for his administrative energy but also for his suspicion and harsh treatment of potential rivals. In 361 CE, while preparing to confront his cousin Julian, who had been proclaimed emperor by his troops, Constantius died of illness, leaving Julian as his successor. His reign was pivotal in the ongoing struggles over both imperial unity and Christian orthodoxy.