Gold Cufflinks Featuring Roman Bronze Coins of Emperor Constans I, 337 CE - 350 CE
Bronze and Gold
FJ.6715
These genuine ancient coins have been mounted in a pair of modern 18 karat gold cufflinks. The fourth or fifth son of Constantine the Great, Constans was bestowed the title...
These genuine ancient coins have been mounted in a pair of modern 18 karat gold cufflinks.
The fourth or fifth son of Constantine the Great, Constans was bestowed the title Caesar by his father in 333. When Constantine died in 337, Constans and his two brothers, Constantius II and Constantine II, each adopted the title of Augustus and divided the empire among themselves. Constans took control of Italy, Africa, and Illyricum (the northwestern Balkans). In 340 Constantine II—ruler of Spain, Gaul, and Britain—invaded northern Italy but was defeated and killed by Constans' army at Aquileia. This victory gave Constans control over the entire western half of the empire. He defended his realm successfully against the Franks in 341 and two years later visited Britain. In 350, however, he was overthrown and killed in Gaul by the usurper Magnus Magnentius. Overall Constans is remembered as an ardent orthodox Christian and vigorous opponent of paganism.
This stunning set of cufflinks evokes the glory and beauty of the early Christian era and its flowering. The rich umber hue of the tarnished bronze is striking when contrasted to the luminous gold mounting. The course of Europe and the world would forever change due to the efforts of Constans, his father Constantine the Great, and his brothers. There is an eternal splendor to these cufflinks, a beauty that radiates from within the coin and envelopes the gold setting. To wear these coins is to evoke the spirit of change. For although time changes and the world evolves, true beauty and eternal elegance as defined by these cufflinks are immune to the fancies and whims of individual tastes.
The fourth or fifth son of Constantine the Great, Constans was bestowed the title Caesar by his father in 333. When Constantine died in 337, Constans and his two brothers, Constantius II and Constantine II, each adopted the title of Augustus and divided the empire among themselves. Constans took control of Italy, Africa, and Illyricum (the northwestern Balkans). In 340 Constantine II—ruler of Spain, Gaul, and Britain—invaded northern Italy but was defeated and killed by Constans' army at Aquileia. This victory gave Constans control over the entire western half of the empire. He defended his realm successfully against the Franks in 341 and two years later visited Britain. In 350, however, he was overthrown and killed in Gaul by the usurper Magnus Magnentius. Overall Constans is remembered as an ardent orthodox Christian and vigorous opponent of paganism.
This stunning set of cufflinks evokes the glory and beauty of the early Christian era and its flowering. The rich umber hue of the tarnished bronze is striking when contrasted to the luminous gold mounting. The course of Europe and the world would forever change due to the efforts of Constans, his father Constantine the Great, and his brothers. There is an eternal splendor to these cufflinks, a beauty that radiates from within the coin and envelopes the gold setting. To wear these coins is to evoke the spirit of change. For although time changes and the world evolves, true beauty and eternal elegance as defined by these cufflinks are immune to the fancies and whims of individual tastes.