BYZANTINE EMPIRE. Constans II, with Constantine IV, 641–668. AV Solidus

BYZANTINE EMPIRE. Constans II, with Constantine IV, 641–668. AV Solidus (19 mm, 4.41 g). Constantinople, circa 654–659. δ N CONSTANTINЧS C CONSTA[…], facing busts of Constans II, crowned, draped, with long beard and whiskers, at left, and Constantine IV, crowned, draped, and beardless, at right; above, cross. Rev. VICTORIA AVςЧ A / CONOB, cross potent on three steps. DOC 25a; MIB 26; SB 959. Issued jointly in the names of Constans II and his son Constantine IV, this solidus affirms the continuity of the Heraclian dynasty during one of the empire’s most challenging eras. The obverse pairs the mature, bearded portrait of Constans with that of his young heir, surmounted by a cross symbolizing divine approval. On the reverse, the cross potent atop steps, long a staple of Byzantine iconography, stands as a proclamation of victory and Christian faith, with the mintmark CONOB signaling the Constantinople mint. This coin shows minor obverse die corrosion and some faint graffiti on the reverse but retains strong definition overall. A notable issue from a turbulent mid-7th century, when Byzantium balanced the pressures of Arab expansion abroad and theological conflict at home.