The Roman Empire
Vetranio, March 350
Heavy miliarense, Siscia March-December 350, AR 5.23 g. D N VETRA – NIO P F AVG Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust r. Rev. GAVDIVM POPVLI ROMANI around wreath within which VOT / V / MVL / X between two upright palm branches; in exergue, SIS. C –. Gnecchi –. RSC 2A. RIC 261.
Extremely rare and in exceptional condition for the issue. A wonderful portrait of fine style
struck on an exceptional metal. Lovely old cabinet tone and good extremely fine Ex Freeman & Sear Fixed Price List 6, 2001, F170.

By the year 350 only two of Constantine’s five heirs remained in power – his youngest sons, Constantius II in the East and Constans in the West. But that number was reduced to one quite early in the year, when Constans was murdered in a coup led by Magnentius, a former slave who had risen to become a senior field commander, and now emperor of the West.

The rebel soon attracted the loyalty of Spain, Britain, North Africa and Italy, but his eastward progress was halted in the spring by the defensive manoeuvers of Vetranio, the Pannonian commander who remained loyal to Constantius II. Vetranio was by then an elderly soldier who originally had served under Constantine the Great and had risen to become the Master of the Infantry (magister peditum) in Pannonia. His loyalty initially wavered, but within two months he had decided to oppose Magnentius, who was marching eastward at a time when Constantius II was occupied on the Persian front. Vetranio’s troops thus hailed him emperor at Mursa on March 1, perhaps at the urging of Constantina, a sister of Constantius II. Vetranio’s ambitions seem to have been limited to defending the Balkans against Magnentius, and he thus accepted his promotion reluctantly. His ten months as Augustus were relatively uneventful, for he avoided taking any offensive action against Magnentius (or the counter-revolutionary Nepotian), and simply held the line until Constantius II arrived with an army of his own late in the fall of 350. Though Constantius II probably had good reason to believe that Vetranio was loyal, he must have been relieved to learn this in person when at Heraclea he met with embassies sent by both men. He then met with Vetranio at Nassius, praised him for his loyalty, and on Christmas day of 350 accepted his abdication. The old general was rewarded with an estate at Prusa in Bithynia, to which he soon retired.