Licinius Junior

Wow, that's surprising!

 

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I recently bought my first coin of Licinius II, largely because I like the fact that his portrait actually makes him look like a small child; not much more than a toddler. Rather unusual for child Caesars except a few like Geta and Caracalla. I also like the expression on the bound captive's face!

Licinius II Caesar, AE follis, Cyzicus Mint (1st Officina), AD 318-324. Obv. Helmeted and cuirassed bust left, holding round shield over left shoulder and spear over right shoulder, DN VAL LICIN LICINIVS NOB C / Rev. Jupiter standing facing, head left, chlamys over left shoulder, holding crowning Victory with right hand and eagle-tipped long scepter with left hand; at his feet to left, another eagle standing left, head right, holding wreath in beak; at his feet to right, bound captive with beard, seated right, head turned back to left; IOVI CONS-ERVATORI around; X/IIΓ in right field [mark of value?*]; in exergue, mintmark SMKA (Cyzicus, 1st Officina). 19 mm., 3.48 g., 12 h. RIC VII Cyzicus 18[A] at p. 646; Sear RCV IV 15409, Cohen 21. Purchased from London Ancient Coins, Feb. 2022. Reverse die match (see https://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/licinius_II/_cyzicus_RIC_018_A.jpg) to example posted at Wildwinds,com, which is ex. CNG March 2015.



*See Sear RCV IV at p. 396 re the X/IIΓ in reverse right field: “It has been suggested that the curious numerical formula in the reverse field indicates a revaluation of the follis from 25 to 12 ½ denarii (cf. Carson, “Coins of the Roman Empire”, p. 167).” (Sear does not explain how the formula represents 12 ½ -- I understand that XII = 12, but not how Γ = ½ -- and I do not have access to Carson.) Other sources describe the “X” as a star (e.g., Roma Numismatics 2022 at https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=8964547), and describe the “IIΓ” as either a “III” (see Gorny & Mosch 2015 at https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=2379511, and CNG 2011 at https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=1123276) or a II M (Mu) (see CNG 2015 at https://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/licinius_II/_cyzicus_RIC_018_A.txt).

Can anyone explain the meaning of the symbols in the reverse right field any better than the sources I've found?

 

X over II and an episemon - "The last sign is clearly an episemon, epigraphically employed for S(emis) also." (RIC VII p. 12) Semis literally means half, and the semis coin was valued at half an as

 

Thank you. So if I understand correctly, the sign after the II is not a gamma (Γ) but a lower-case mu (μ) -- which explains the sources describing that part of the formula as IIM -- and, according to RIC, a lower-case mu is a sign or symbol ("episemon") for a Semis or 1/2. So under this theory, the value of the coin supposedly = 12 1/2 denarii, not that the denarius was still being used as a denomination by then so far as I know.