Hannibalianus (335-337), Æ 4, Constantinople, bust right, bare-headed, draped and cuirassed, rev. Euphrates reclining right, 1.58g (RIC 147). Some porosity, fine or better, very rare (£200-220)

Late in his life Constantine the Great planned his last great undertaking, namely the conquest of the Persians and their conversion to Christianity. To this end he made a nephew, Hannibalianus, ‘King of Armenia and adjacent regions.’ Whether such a ambitious project would have met with success can only be questioned, but in the event Constantine died before any attempt to carry it out could be made. As for Hannibalianus, he was killed in 337 in the struggle for power following the death of the emperor