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Roman Imperitorial Coinage
R
ARE
F
ULL
F
ACING
G
OLD
A
UREUS OF
L
ICINIUS
I
Enlargement
2063
Licinius I. Gold Aureus (5.23 g), AD 308-324
.
Struck at Nicomedia, ca. AD 321/2.
LICINIVS AVG OB D V FILII SVI, bare-headed, draped
and cuirassed bust of Licinius I facing.
Reverse:
IOVI CONS LICINI AVG, Jupiter enthroned facing on high dais inscribed SIC X / SIC XX in two
lines, holding Victory on globe and scepter; at his to left, eagle standing left, head right, holding wreath in beak; SMN
Δ
. RIC 41; Depeyrot 31/
1; Calicó 5094. Lustrous. Marks on face and obverse fields.
otherwise
Extremely Fine.
Facing imperial portraits rarely occur on Roman coins until the reign of Constantius II, when that emperor employed it as his standard type for
his eastern mint solidi. Until then, however, there are only few instances of its use until the early third centuy A.D., when Maxentius used his
facing portrait on some gold aurei struck ca. 310-312. In 316 Constantine the Great followed in Maxentius' s numismatic footsteps on an issue
of very rare solidi, although the representation of the emperor there is quite different from the earlier instance. The facing gold coins of the
Licinius, of which there is a companion issue struck in the name of his son, Licinius II, were made only a half decade after Constantine' s use
of the type, and as we might expect, appear to be inspired by one or both of these earlier issues. They were struck specifically to commemo-
rate Licinius' s taking of the imperial vows - offering his thanks for a decade of accomplishments and his aspirations for a further decade of
enlightened rule - which is signified by the inscription SIC X SIC XX on the front of the dais upon which Jupiter sits on the reverse of this coin.
A further point of interest with this coin is Licinius' s use of Jupiter on the reverse, which copies the great gold and ivory statue by Phidias that
stood within the god' s most important sanctuary at Olympia. By this time Constantine strongly favored Christianity, and the Edict of Milan
which he and Licinius jointly proclaimed in 313 granted religious toleration for Christianity throughout the entire Roman Empire. Licinius was
not a Christian, however, and his agreeing to the joint proclamation was probably merely to appease Constantine by giving the appearance of
unity. Thus, Licinius' s decision to use Jupiter to commemorate such a momentous occasion as his decennalian vows speaks volumes to the
uneasy state of affairs that existed between the co-emperors at this time.
Estimated Value ........................................................................................................................................................... $40,000 - 50,000
2064
Licinius I, AD 308-324. Billon Reduced Follis
.
Minted at
Cyzicus, AD 317-18.
Laurel bust of Licinius facing left wearing
consular robes.
Reverse:
Jupiter standing left holding Victory
on globe; wreath in l. field.; mint mark SMK in ex,
officina mark
R
. S-15237/8. Original silvering mostly intact.
NGC graded
Uncirculated Byzantium Hoard
.
Estimated Value ................................................... $100 - 150
2065
Constantine I, AD 307-337. Billon Reduced Follis
.
Minted
at Thessalonica, AD 320-30.
Laureate bust of Constantine the
Great facing right.
Reverse:
Camp-gate with two-turrets and
star above; mint mark SMTS in ex;
officina R.
Original silvering
mostly intact. S-16252-76.
NGC graded Uncirculated, Byz-
antium Hoard
.
Estimated Value ................................................... $100 - 150