Centenionalis — Vetranio — Hoc Signo Victor Eris

Obverse: DN VETRANIO P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped bust of Vetranio right; A in left field

Reverse: HOC SIGNO VICTOR ERIS ("by this sign you will be victorious"), emperor holding a Chi-Rho standard and being crowned by Victory, dot Epsilon SIS dot in exergue

Mint Info: Siscia

Mass: 4.66 g

Diameter: 20.5 mm

The reverse depicts Vetranio being crowned by Victory while holding a standard bearing the Chi-Rho, the Christian monogram formed from the first two letters of Christ's name in Greek. The legend HOC SIGNO VICTOR ERIS ("by this sign you will be victorious") directly connects the emperor's military success with Christian divine favor. This imagery was particularly significant during the political and military struggles of the mid-fourth century, when imperial legitimacy was closely tied to both military authority and the Christian faith.

Vetranio was proclaimed emperor in the western Balkans in AD 350 during the usurpation of Magnentius and briefly ruled in opposition to Constantius II before abdicating later that same year. His coinage is consequently associated with one of the briefest imperial reigns of the fourth century. The centenionalis was a reduced bronze denomination of the Constantinian monetary system, and the Christian imagery on this issue reflects the increasing prominence of Christianity in imperial propaganda following Constantine the Great's conversion and patronage.