Constantius II Centenionalis — Coin Legend Breakdown

Obverse Legend

D N Dominus Noster — “Our Lord” — reflecting the increasingly autocratic Late Roman imperial style

CONSTANTIVS Constantius — the emperor’s name (Constantius II, son of Constantine the Great)

P F Pius Felix — “Dutiful and Fortunate”

AVG Augustus — “The Revered One”

Obverse Image

Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust of Constantius II facing right. The pearl diadem replaced the earlier laurel wreath in the Late Empire, reflecting the increasingly monarchical and Eastern-influenced style of the Dominate period.

Reverse Legend

CONCORDIA Concordia — the Roman goddess of harmony and agreement

MILITVM Militum — “of the Soldiers” — military harmony and loyalty to the emperor

ASIS Mintmark — identifying the first workshop (A = officina prima) of the Siscia mint

Reverse Image

The emperor standing in military dress, holding two military standards. One standard bears the Chi-Rho (☧) — the Christogram combining the first two Greek letters of Christ's name — signaling the Christian identity of the Late Roman state established by his father Constantine the Great. The mintmark ASIS at the base identifies the Siscia mint (modern Sisak, Croatia). This type emphasized both military unity and Christian imperial authority during a period of civil wars and external threats.

Historical Context

Constantius II (AD 337–361) inherited a transformed empire. His father Constantine the Great had legalized Christianity, founded Constantinople, and restructured the military. After Constantine’s death, his three sons divided the empire and fought each other for supremacy. Constantius II eventually became sole ruler by AD 353. The Chi-Rho (☧) symbol on the military standard in this coin’s reverse is one of the earliest Christian symbols on Roman coinage — a monogram of the first two Greek letters of "Christ." This coin was struck at the Siscia mint (modern Sisak, Croatia), one of the empire’s major mints, during a period when Christianity was rapidly becoming the dominant religion of the Roman world.