Watch List notes:

The Roman Empire

Constantius II, 337 – 361. Medallion 350, Æ 18.19 g. D N CONSTAN – TIVS P F AVG Laurel and rosette-diademed bust l., wearing imperial mantle and chlamys; raising r. hand. Rev. VICTORIAŸ – AVGVSTORVM Constantius II in military dress and chlamys standing r., holding spear in his l. hand, head turned l. towards Victory standing l., head turned r., placing her l. arm around the emperor's shoulders; she holds palm branch in her r. hand. C 238. Gnecchi I, 35 and pl. 137, 5. W. Froehner, Les Médallions de l'Empire Romain depuis le règne de Auguste jusqu'à Priscus Attale, p. 309. P. Bastien, Le Buste monétaire des empereurs romains, Numismatique romaine 19, pp. 559–572, pl. 190, 7. RIC 409. M.-M. Bendenoun, Coins of the Ancient World, A portrait of the JDL Collection, Tradart, 2009, 89 (this coin).
Extremely rare. A spectacular medallion, work of a very skilled master-engraver.
An unusual portrait in the finest style of the period and an interesting reverse
composition. Perfectly struck and centred on a very large flan, lovely
green patina with some minor areas of corrosion on
obverse, otherwise extremely fine
Ex M&M 76, 1991, 912; New York III, 2000, 788 and NAC-Tradart 79, 2014, 45 (illustrated on the front cover page) sales.
The dating of late Roman medallions is especially difficult since they rarely have inscriptions with precise chronological infor- mation. This undated medallion of Constantius II is part of a close-knit group of pieces that Kent suggests was struck at the Rome mint in the first half of 350. The period is bracketed by Magnentius' overthrow of the Emperor Constans on January 18 and the short-lived counter-rebellion of Nepotian starting on June 3 of that same year. Though this medallion very likely was struck during Magnentius' occupation of Rome, the possibility that it was struck either soon before or soon after this eventful half-year cannot be dismissed. It would seem that many base metal medallions of this era were struck for festivities associated with the New Year and/or the assumption of the consulship early in January. Thus, the period of January 18 through June 3 would preclude those occasions. Even so, it was an eventful era with ample reasons for the issuance of medallions at irregular times. In Kent's group of January 19 to June 3 there was much sharing of reverse dies among the different issues. For example, Magnentius and Constantius II shared dies in this period for the issues RIC 404/405 and 406/407. Yet, medallions in this group are also die linked to ones attributed by Kent to earlier and later periods. Examples include one of Magnentius (RIC 414) that shares a reverse die with a medallion of Constans (RIC 394) attributed to the period 347 to January 19, 350, and the present issue of Constantius II (RIC 409) which is reverse die-linked with a medallion of Decentius (RIC 417) attributed to the period of Spring 351 through September 26, 352. The sharing of dies from both earlier and later periods demands caution in holding too strictly to any proposed chronology. Thus, the question thus remains: was this medallion issued before, du- ring, or after the first half of 350? If before that period the issuer would be Constans, if during, Magnentius, if soon afterward it may have been Nepotian or Magnentius. We might presume that throughout the political upheavals of the era the Rome mint continued to operate, striking at the behest of whoever was in power at the moment, and often using dies that had been prepared when the city had been under other authority. Thus, all that can be said with certainty is that this medallion was issued in the name of Constantius II, presumably in the year 350.