Civilization: Byzantine Empire
Ruler: Constans II
Mint: Constantinople
Year: 641 - 668 AD
Composition: Bronze
Denomination: Follis
Diameter: 25.0mm
Weight: 5.37g
Reference:

Obverse
Standing imperial figure holding long cross and globus cruciger

Reverse
Large M, cross above, legend to left and right

Constans II, who ruled the Byzantine Empire from 641 to 668 CE, faced immense challenges, including relentless military pressure from the Islamic Caliphate. Early in his reign, he lost critical territories such as Egypt and parts of North Africa to the Arab conquests, severely weakening Byzantine control in the eastern Mediterranean. To strengthen defenses, Constans II reorganized the empire's military structure, creating the themata (themes) system, which stationed soldiers in provinces to protect against invasions. He was also deeply involved in religious disputes, issuing the Typos edict in an attempt to quell theological divisions, though it largely intensified opposition. In 663, Constans controversially moved his court to Syracuse in Sicily, seeking a stronger Western base but alienating many in Constantinople. His reign ended abruptly when he was assassinated in 668, leaving a complex legacy of reform, resistance, and internal conflict.