Constantinian Dynasty · Collector's Guide
Delmatius: The Caesar Erased from Constantine's Dynasty
AD 335–337 · Caesar of Thrace, Macedonia & Achaea · The Fallen Caesar
Roman Empire
335–337 AD
Kinzer Coins
Delmatius was raised within the inner circle of Constantine the Great, elevated to Caesar, and positioned to help govern the Roman Empire. He was killed within two years — and nearly erased from history altogether.
The nephew of Constantine the Great and cousin to Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans, Delmatius received a formal education at Tolosa (modern Toulouse) and in AD 335 was proclaimed Caesar at Constantinople, assigned authority over Thrace, Macedonia, and Achaea. Constantine's plan appears to have been a broader imperial college — multiple Caesars sharing governance to reduce the risk of civil war after his death. Instead, when Constantine died in AD 337, a dynastic purge eliminated Delmatius and several other imperial relatives almost immediately. His coins are the only substantial evidence of a man who nearly shaped the Roman world — and a future that never came to pass.
The Caesar Who Was Erased
When Constantine the Great died in AD 337, the succession he had carefully arranged collapsed almost immediately into violence. A purge swept through the imperial household — Delmatius, his father Flavius Dalmatius, and several other male relatives of Constantine were killed within weeks. Ancient historians never fully clarified who organized the massacre, though it benefited Constantine's surviving sons — Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans — by eliminating anyone who might contest their authority. Delmatius was murdered before he could establish himself as a military or political figure. He became one of late Roman history's great "what if" figures: a Caesar positioned for prominence whose career ended almost before it began. His coins are nearly the only thing that survived him.
Holding a coin of Delmatius is holding evidence of a future that never came to pass — a Roman Empire that might have been governed by more of Constantine's family, and a Caesar who lived just long enough to strike bronze.
The Coinage of Delmatius
Because Delmatius ruled for barely two years, his coinage is limited compared to Constantine's sons. Most surviving examples are small AE4 bronze issues struck between AD 335 and 337, featuring pearl-diademed busts with military cuirass in the standard late Constantinian style. Every surviving coin represents a window into one of the briefest and most dramatic Caesarships in Roman history.
Primary Type
Gloria Exercitvs
Two soldiers flanking a single military standard — the reduced one-standard type of the later Constantinian period. The most commonly encountered Delmatius type and the natural starting point for collectors.
Secondary Type
Secvritas Reipvblicae
Securitas standing, emphasizing stability and imperial order during Constantine's final years. Scarcer than the Gloria Exercitvs type — a more difficult acquisition for dynasty set builders.
Scarce Type
Victoria Caesaris
Victory advancing, celebrating the legitimacy of the junior emperor. Among the rarest Delmatius types — issued to commemorate his elevation to Caesar at Constantinople in AD 335.
Mints of Delmatius
Delmatius's coins were struck at eastern imperial mints reflecting his assigned territory over Thrace, Macedonia, and Achaea — the Danube frontier region Constantine entrusted to him. The eastern concentration of his mint output gives his coinage a distinct geographic profile compared to Constantine's sons.
Why Collect Delmatius
Start Here
GLORIA EXERCITVS AE4 bronze — the most available Delmatius type, still significantly scarcer than any of Constantine's sons. Full legends, centered strikes, and strong portrait detail are the key quality markers to seek.
Go Deeper
Build a "fallen Caesars" or complete Constantinian dynasty set — pairing Delmatius with Constantine II, Constantius II, Constans, Helena, and Constantine the Great for one of the most historically charged collecting goals in late Roman numismatics.
Delmatius coins are scarcer than those of any of Constantine's sons — yet still relatively affordable, because his story remains largely unknown outside specialist circles. That combination of short-reign rarity, dramatic history, and accessible pricing makes him one of the most compelling overlooked figures in Constantinian collecting. He was educated for greatness, elevated to Caesar, assigned one of the empire's most critical frontiers, and killed before he could do anything with it. Nearly 1,700 years later, his portrait still survives on bronze coins struck in the empire he almost helped rule. That is exactly what ancient coins are for.
Hold what the greats held.
Shop the Collection
Browse Coins of Delmatius at Kinzer Coins
Authentic late Roman bronze from the Caesar erased from Constantine's dynasty — scarcer than his cousins, historically extraordinary, and still surprisingly affordable.
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