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Constans II and Constantine IV Gold Solidus, obverse

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Byzantine

Constans II and Constantine IV Gold Solidus

Constans II and Constantine IV · Heraclian Empire

Constans II and Constantine IV share the field as father and heir, while the reverse preserves both the cross and the younger sons who complicated the succession.

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Object number
AG-006
Date
AD 654–668
Denomination
AV Solidus
Material
Gold
Weight
4.38 g
Grade
MS · Strike 5/5 · Surface 3/5 · clipped; scratches
Certification
NGC Ancients

Record completeness

Evidence, made visible

  • Object identityDocumented
  • Physical recordPartly documented
  • AttributionPartly documented
  • Legends & imageryNot recorded
  • ProvenanceNot recorded

The Story Behind the Strike

Constans II ruled through severe military pressure and spent his later years in the western Mediterranean. By placing Constantine IV beside him, the coinage publicized an intended succession. The reverse is still more revealing: a cross potent stands between the youthful figures of Heraclius and Tiberius, the emperor’s other sons. What appears at first to be a devotional design is also a compact map of dynastic politics. The clipped edge and scratches belong to the individual object; the four imperial portraits belong to a state attempting to make an uncertain future look orderly.