Licinius II, AE3, bronze, Caesar of the eastern empire, minted 319 CE

Licinius II, AE3, bronze, Caesar of the eastern empire, minted 319 CE, weight 3.10 g, diameter 18 mm. Obverse: laureate, cuirassed bust of Licinius II wearing paludamentum right, legend LICINIVS IVN NOB CAES; field inscription VIRT EXERC. Reverse: Sol standing facing, right hand raised, left hand holding globe, set over a symmetrical network of intersecting lines; legend SOLI INVICTO COMITI; mintmark of Thessalonica in exergue. Strike: regular 6 h die axis, centrally struck on a complete flan. Toning: stable medium-brown patina with slightly darker devices. References: RIC VII Thessalonica 70; cited in various Balkan hoard reports; comparable specimens recorded in BD. Licinius II, son of Licinius I, was raised to the rank of Caesar in 317 CE as part of a political arrangement between Licinius I and Constantine I. The Thessalonica mint produced substantial bronze issues for the young Caesar, using types that mirrored those of the senior emperors. The depiction of Sol Invictus on the reverse reflects the continued imperial association with the sun god as a guarantor of victory and universal rule, a theme promoted across the empire from the late third century. The obverse inscription VIRT EXERC (“valour of the army”) reinforces military loyalty to the Licinian house during a period of fluctuating alliances between the Licinian and Constantinian courts. Coins of this issue circulated widely in the Balkans and adjoining provinces until the defeat of Licinius I in 324 CE, after which production for Licinius II ceased and earlier pieces were gradually withdrawn from official channels.