2021-08-11 Wed

Magnus Magnentius was a usurper of the Roman Empire from 350 to 353. His career forms one episode in the struggles for imperial power that occurred after the death of Constantine the Great.

Born in Samarobriva (Amiens), Gaul, Magnentius was the commander of the Herculians and Jovians, the Imperial guard units. When the army grew dissatisfied with the behavior of Emperor Constans, it elevated Magnentius at Autun on 18 January 350. Constans was hunting near the Pyrenees, away from his forces, when Magnentius' forces cornered and killed him at Helene (near Perpignan).

Magnentius tried to strengthen his grasp on the territories previously controlled by Constans, moving towards the Danube. Vetranio, commander of the Pannonian army, had been elected Augustus by his troops in Mursa on 1 March. This revolt had a loyalist mark, since Vetranio was supported by Constantina, and Constantius II himself recognized Vetranio, sending him the imperial diadem.

Magnentius minted many different coins between 350 and 353. The pattern with chi-rho on the reverse is one of the popular ones. The denomination is double centenionalis, made of base metal with weights between 7 and 10 grams and diameters 25 to 27 mm. The obverse inscription reads D N MAGNEN_TIVS P F AVG. Image Source: Wikipedia.org