Roman Empire Emperors
Licinius II Caesar 317-324

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Coin Details

Origin/Country: ANCIENT - ROMAN EMPIRE (1st CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) ROMAN EMPIRE House of Constantine
Item Description: BI Reduced Nummus issued as Caesar Licinius II, AD 317-324
Full Grade: NGC Ch VF
Owner: Von Werner

Set Details

Custom Sets: Roman Empire Emperors
Competitive Sets: This coin is not competing in any sets.

Owner Comments:

Licinius II or Licinius the Younger; full name: Valerius Licinianus Licinius; c. 315 – c. 326) was the son of the Roman emperor Licinius.

On the first of March 317, he was raised to the rank of Caesar at the age of 20 months, nominally serving as such in the eastern empire until 324, while his father was Augustus. His mother was Licinius' wife Flavia Julia Constantia, who was the half-sister of Constantine I. After his defeat by Constantine at the Battle of Chrysopolis (18 September 324), Licinius the elder was initially spared and placed in captivity at Thessalonica. However, within a year Constantine seems to have regretted his leniency and the former Emperor was hanged. Immediately, after his father's defeat and capitulation the younger Licinius was stripped of his title of Caesar.
The younger Licinius, who was Constantine's nephew, also fell victim to the emperor's suspicions and was killed, in Pola, probably in the context of the execution of Crispus in 326.
Other reports relate that Licinius the Younger was forced into slavery in the imperial textile factories in Africa, where a "son of Licinianus" is noted in an imperial rescript dated 336. However, the rescript makes it clear that the "son of Licinianus" referred to was not likely to have been Licinius II, as the text contains a directive that the textile worker be reduced to the slave status of his birth. No son of Constantine's sister would have been referred to in this manner.

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