Coin, Roman, bronze, issued by Magnentius, 350 to 353.

Coin of the usurper Magnentius

Roman, AD350-353

Provenance unknown

Magnentius, by one tradition the son of a Briton, killed the emperor Constans in AD350 and seized the western part of the empire. His attempt to extend his empire ended with his defeat on the Danube in AD351 but he retained control of the West until AD353. He issued many coins, notably with the chi-rho - the first two letters of Christ in Greek - on the reverse.