Constans II, 641-668, gold Solidus, Constantinople

Constans II (641-668 AD), gold Solidus, Constantinople, 641 AD, δ N CONSTANTINЧS P P AVG, crowned, draped and beardless bust of Constans II facing, holding globus cruciger in his right hand, rev. VICTORIA AVGЧ Γ/ CONOB, cross potent on base and three steps, 4.51, 6h (DOC 1a (Heraclonas). MIB 3a. SB 936). Well centred and with an attractive portrait, extremely fine.

Constans II, who ruled the Byzantine Empire from 641 to 668 AD, ascended the throne at a remarkably young age during a period of geopolitical turmoil. Born Heraclius Constantine, he became emperor as a young boy following a hard succession. This gold Solidus, minted in Constantinople in 641 AD, offers a fascinating glimpse into the early years of his reign and the powerful imagery used by the Byzantine state to project stability, divine protection, and imperial authority. On the He is shown as a crowned, draped, and beardless bust, which aligns with his youth at the beginning of his reign in 641 AD. In his right hand, he holds a globus cruciger an orb topped by a cross. This prominent symbol represented the emperor's earthly dominion under the guidance and sovereignty of the Christian God, reinforcing the divine right of the Byzantine ruler. The reverse is a cross potent set upon a base and three steps. This imagery became increasingly significant in Byzantine numismatics, symbolizing the triumph of Christianity and likely referencing the True Cross in Jerusalem, which held immense emotional and spiritual weight for the empire during an era when early Islamic conquests were reshaping the Mediterranean world. Throughout his long and eventful reign, Constans II would face daunting challenges, eventually moving the imperial court to the West and ruling from Syracuse in Sicily until his assassination in 668 AD. However, this specific solidus captures a frozen moment in 641 AD the vulnerable yet resolute dawn of a young emperor's decades long struggle to preserve a changing empire.

The obverse legend δ N CONSTANTINЧS P P AVG translates to "Our Lord Constantine, Perpetual Emperor."

The reverse legend VICTORIA AVGЧ Γ/ CONOB translates to "Victory of the Emperor [produced by workshop 3 in pure gold of Constantinople]."