Constantius II, reduced AE2, bronze, reign 337-361 CE, minted 348-350 CE

Constantius II, reduced AE2, bronze, reign 337-361 CE, minted 348-350 CE, weight 4.8 g, diameter 21 mm. Obverse: pearl-diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right; legend D N CONSTANTIVS P F AVG. Reverse: soldier helmeted, draped, cuirassed, advancing right, head left, leading a small bare-headed figure from a hut beneath a tree with right hand and holding spear pointed downward in left; legend FEL TEMP REPARATIO, exergue ANA. Strike: machine-struck on a bronze flan; axis 6 h. Toning: dark brown patina with lighter high-point wear. References: RIC VIII Antioch 132; standard type for the FEL TEMP REPARATIO series. Issued during the mid-imperial reforms of Constantius II, this reduced AE2 belongs to the FEL TEMP REPARATIO series introduced c. 348 CE to restore confidence in the bronze currency following successive reductions in size and weight. The soldier-leading-captive motif symbolises the emperor’s claim of renewing happier times through victory over barbarian groups along the Danube and eastern frontiers. Struck at Antioch, a principal eastern mint supplying troops facing Persia, the coin circulated widely in the eastern provinces and reflects Constantius II’s emphasis on military security and fiscal stability during his joint rule with his brothers’ heirs.