After all these years my first Licinius

Dont know why but I have never had a Licinius coin in my collection.
I had plenty of opportunities but never really felt like I needed to have one.

I picked this one up for two reasons on the reverse, one is because of the Latin abbreviation VOT XX MVLT XXX, translated it means on the 20th anniversary of the Emperor's rule and more for His hoped for thirtieth anniversary of rule. The other reason is because of the TSA (mint of Thessalonica) is where He was imprisoned and later hanged.

Licinius was a close childhood friend of Galerius, Licinius was also the sometimes colleague sometimes enemy of Constantine. Licinius was involved in 4 different wars against Contantine with the last one leaving Licinius imprisoned in Thessalonica. Licinius tried to regain power but His plans were exposed , He then attempted to flee to the Goths but was captured in Thessalonica and hanged by Constantine.

 

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Here's a Licinius from Rome.

AE3, 318-319 AD. 19mm 3.1 grams

IMP LI-CINIVS AVG, helmeted and cuirassed bust right

ROMAE AETERNAE, Roma seated right, shield on lap inscribed X/V. P-R across fields.

Mintmark: RQ

Reference: RIC VII Rome 151; Cohen 150; Sear 15354.

 

Nice one, @bcuda! Dig that cuirasse!

This one is perhaps my favorite.


Licinius I, AD 308-324.
Roman billon follis, 3.43 g, 19.1 mm, 11 h.
Antioch, sixth officina, AD 321-323.
Obv: IMP C VAL LICIN LICINIVS P F AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right.
Rev: IOVI CONSERVATORI, Jupiter standing left, holding Victory on globe and eagle-tipped scepter, another eagle to feet to left, captive seated on ground to right; X/IIΓ in field, right; SMANTS in exergue.
Refs: RIC vii, p. 682, 35; Cohen 74; RCV 15225.

 

Licinius fought against Constantine twice-- in A.D.316 and 324.

 

I can’t remember where I got this - it has been so long ago - I think I bought it along with some other very nice condition reduced folles from the Killingholme hoard - but I was struck by its pristine condition, even the wrinkles in the brow are clearly discernible. I no longer own this coin.

RIC VII, London, Licinius, No. 3

• Reduced weight follis - 313 to 314
• O: Licinius laureate and cuirassed bust right - IMP LICINIVS PF AVG
• R: Genius with modius on head, chlamys over left shoulder, holding patera (rh) cornucopia (l) GENIO POP ROM - PLN (exergue) S (l) F (r)
• Original silvering.

 

I am not sure as I do not know enough history on Licinius so I had just looked up some info on Wikipedia for a write up. I know not everything found on the internet is correct so I stand corrected. This is what wikipedia said:

* In 314, a civil war erupted between Licinius and Constantine the situation was temporarily settled.

* The next year a new war erupted, when Licinius named Valerius Valens co-emperor, only for Licinius to suffer a humiliating defeat on the plain of Mardia (also known as Campus Ardiensis) in Thrace. The emperors were reconciled after these two battles and Licinius had his co-emperor Valens killed.

* Over the next ten years, the two imperial colleagues maintained an uneasy truce. Licinius kept himself busy with a campaign against the Sarmatians in 318, but temperatures rose again in 321 when Constantine pursued some Sarmatians, who had been ravaging some territory in his realm, across the Danube into what was technically Licinius's territory. When he repeated this with another invasion, this time by the Goths who were pillaging Thrace under their leader Rausimod, Licinius complained that Constantine had broken the treaty between them. Constantine wasted no time going on the offensive. Licinius's fleet of 350 ships was defeated by Constantine's fleet in 323.

* Then in 324, Constantine, tempted by the "advanced age and unpopular vices" of his colleague, again declared war against him and having defeated his army of 165,000 men at the Battle of Adrianople (3 July 324), succeeded in shutting him up within the walls of Byzantium. The defeat of the superior fleet of Licinius in the Battle of the Hellespont by Crispus, Constantine's eldest son and Caesar, compelled his withdrawal to Bithynia, where a last stand was made; the Battle of Chrysopolis, near Chalcedon (18 September), resulted in Licinius' final submission.

 

Nice Lice! Here's mine. It's the last coin I bought at a show... not that coin show in SLC are anything but a bunch of US coins and a few overpriced ancients:

 

One of my better LRBs is a Licinius:


Licinius I Æ Follis
(316-317 A.D.)
Alexandria mint
IMP C VAL LICIN LICINIVS PF AVG, laureate head right / IOVI CONSER-VATORI AVGG, Jupiter standing left, eagle with wreath left. K left; wreath / X / B right; ALE below.
RIC VII Alexandria 18.
(3.46 grams / 22 mm)

 

Licinius I (308 -324 A.D.)
Æ Follis
O: IMP C VAL LICIN LICINIVS PF AVGG; Laureate bust right.
R: IOVI CONS-ERVATORI AVG; Jupiter standing left, chlamys across left shoulder, leaning on scepter and holding Victory on globe in right hand, eagle holding wreath to left on ground // HTΔ
Heraclea mint, 15-316 A.D.
4.26g
22mm
RIC VII Heraclea 12, p. 543 (unlisted officina)

 

LICINIUS I
AE3 Follis
OBVERSE: IMP LICI-NIVS AVG, laureate bust right, wearing imperial mantle, holding globe, sceptre & mappa
REVERSE: PROVIDEN-TIAE AVGG, campgate with three turrets, no door, delta in right field SMHA in ex.
Struck at Heraclea 318-320 AD
3.0g, 18mm
RIC VII 48

 

Congrats, @bcuda , finally getting one!

LICINIUS


RI Licinius I 308-324 CE AE3 Jupiter w Eagle

 

Here is my Licinius I

 

It might be worth a bit of careful cleaning to be sure the RQ reading is correct. Below is the other more common type from Licinius that used the R EPWC mintmark.

 

Nice Licinius pickup!
My first Licinius turned out to be a counterfeit!

My best is probably this one with a funny nose, the dude looks like a fun uncle.

 

Licinius I, silvered AE Follis, Siscia Mint (4th Officina) 315-316 AD. Obv. Laureate head right, IMP LIC LICINIVS P F AVG / Rev. Naked Jupiter standing and facing left, chlamys across left shoulder, holding Victory on globe in right hand and leaning on scepter held in left hand; eagle with wreath in beak at his feet left, IOVI CON-SERVATORI. Δ [Delta] in right field, • SIS • in exergue. RIC VII Siscia 17 (p. 424), Sear RCV IV 15212, Cohen 66. 21 mm., 3.36 g.

 

This isn't my first Licinius, but it is my latest, -- an IOVI overstruck with a unofficial Constantine VLPP

 

Nice one @bcuda . I like coins of this era. Licinius I is an interesting figure whose coins can be had for very reasonable prices. My favorite below was purchased for $10.

Roman Empire
Licinius I
AE Follis, Thessalonica mint, struck ca. AD 312-313
Obv.: IMP LIC LICINIVS P F AVG; Laureate bust left
Rev.: IOVI CONSERVATORI AVGGNN; Jupiter standing left, holding globe surmounted by Victory in right hand, holding scepter in left hand; eagle holding wreath in beak at left; / TS A
Ref.: RIC VI 59

 

That’s bizarre. Wouldn’t official coinage be worth more nominally than unofficial? Espically since the barb VLPP is on a much smaller module. Weird

 

There was a monetary reform in 318, old coins were probably officially removed from circulation, plus the new VLPP had more silver content.