Upon the death of Constans (337-350 AD), at the hands of Magnentius, the troops at Illyria were undecided as to whether to continue their allegiance to the house of Constantine in the person of Constantius II or to declare for the usurper Magnentius. As Constantius II was in the east fighting the Persians it seemed the decision was to go against the absent emperor if not for the intervention of the emperors sister Constantina. She convinced the commander of Illyria, one Vetranio to declare himself Augustus to save and hold the empire for Constantius II. This was done March 1, of 350 AD.

This brief reign created the first overtly Christian coin type of the Roman empire and displayed Vetranio's support for the house of Constantine. This type depicts Constantine the Great being crowned by a victory carrying a palm while holding a standard bearing a Chi-Rho. * The legend reads "HOC SIGNO VICTOR ERIS" which means "by this sign thou shalt conquer." The whole type refers to the vision which Constantine the Great saw before the battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 AD where he defeated Maxentius. This type then illustrates the event that convinces Constantine to make Christianity the state religion, thus changing world history.

Vetranio also produced another type "CONCORDIA MILITVM", which means harmony between the soldiers, which depicts an **emperor holding two labara each of which have a Chi-Rho in their center. Our stand-in emperor does another highly unusual thing. He issues these same two coin types in his own name but also in the name of Constantius II to show his support for him. In a move of reverse ancestry the portrait of Constantius II is altered to look like a young Vetranio. Usually a new emperor sometimes resembles the emperor that preceded him on coins, i.e., Early Hadrian portraits resembling Trajan. The Vetranio styled portrait is accomplished by changing the curly hair of Constantius' portrait below his ear to straight and leaving Constantius beardless while Vetranio is bearded.

On December 25, 350 AD Vetranio and Constantius II met at a plain near Serdica where Vetranio abdicated and is given an estate at Prusa in Bithynia where he lived until his death in 356 AD.

*Note: Seaby Roman Coins #4042 erroneously describes this type as Vetranio standing left holding labarum crowned by victory standing behind him. RIC Volume VIII, The Family of Constantine I, page 44 in describing this seen: "This evocation in the vision of Constantine emphasizes the loyalty of Vetranio to the dynasty."

**Note: In this case the emperor depicted on the reverse could easily be Constantine the Great, Constantius II, or Vetranio, because of the unusual circumstances surrounding Vetranio's elevation.

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