Owner Comments:
The defeat of Maximinus II by rival eastern Augustus Valerius Licinianus Licinius (ca. 265 – 325 AD) should have provided the Roman world with a much-needed reprieve. A similar imperial down-selection had already been reached in the West with Constantine's conquest over Maxentius. These developments marked the end of a decade-long experiment to find a stable Tetrarchy. Things were back to a rule of Two, and to seal the deal, Licinius married Constantine’s sister, Constantia.
Despite this alliance, serious tensions remained. After all, the Empire was founded as an autocracy, and Constantine for one had clearly shown a penchant for power grabs. Attempting to keep the peace, Licinius agreed to convert the eastern European territories into a buffer zone. The man chosen to rule this middle-ground was Bassianus. While idea looked good on parchment, in the high-stakes world of the 4th century AD, a buffer is merely a powder keg waiting for a pretext..
The arrangement shattered when a conspiracy surfaced regarding the supposedly neutral Bassianus. The latter, perhaps at Licinius' urging, was allegedly plotting against Constantine. This provided the Western Augustus the moral rationale he needed to go on the offensive. In 316 AD, Constantine launched a lightning march into the Balkans, sparking a first Licinian War
The results for Licinius were catastrophic. After a bloody stalemate at the Battle of Cibalae, he was forced into a humiliating truce in 317 AD. He kept his crown, but he lost his European territories: Moesia, Pannonia, and Macedonia. Imperial seniority also shifted to Constantine; previously, Licinius was nominally considered the senior Augustus as a vestige of the old Tetrarchy. Most critically, Licinius lost his primary recruiting grounds. For generations, the Illyrian provinces had been the Empire’s premier zone for sourcing elite soldiers and hardened officers. By ceding this area, Licinius didn't just lose acreage in the short term. Losing the first Licinian War reduced his ability to defend his realm in the long term.
The nummus, struck circa 317 to 320 AD, hails from that period of fragile peace after the first Licinian war. Like typical nummi of the period, although it looks silver, this is only due to a thin layer coated on a core of primarily copper (more precisely a high-percentage copper alloy with silver called billon). Remarkably, the silver layer is highly uniform and only a few microns thick. The method of how the ancient Roman mint workers achieved such a silver-coated copper coin is lost to history; the method must have been kept top secret, and for obvious reasons. Methods that have been theorized include direct application of a silver wash, electrolysis, and surface depletion gilding; different methods may have been used at different periods or at different mints. In any case, the silver coating on this coin shows some areas where the copper has migrated back to the surface and formed a patina due to exposure to oxygen, moisture, and/or other environmental factors. On this coin, the vivid spots of bright green are consistent with formation of malachite (Cu
2CO
3(OH)
2).
Beyond the striking areas of verdigris, this artistry in this coin's engraving is also noteworthy. It was struck by Licinius at Alexandria, Egypt, the breadbasket of the Empire, and home to a rich numismatic tradition dating back to the city's founding by Alexander the Great. The obverse on this coin provides a good example of the peculiarly stylized eyes and distinct facial proportions that make Alexandrian nummi stand out from those struck elsewhere. Also of interest on this obverse are the trappings on the scepter and mappa, traditional symbols of Rome's power and glory. In another nod to tradition, the reverse features the supreme god Jupiter, with an epithet that terminates in AVGG to stress the new rule of Two.
Through such imagery as found on this coin, Licinius signaled that, despite the shrinkage of his territory, he was still the guardian of classical Roman customs in the East. Meanwhile in the West, Constantine was experimenting with Christian-forward branding. The difference in messaging was telling. Much like the silver plating on this nummus, the peace between Licinius and Constantine was deceptively deep and inherently fragile.
Coin Details: ROMAN EMPIRE, Licinius I, AD 308-324, AE3 (BI Nummus) (3.29g), Alexandria mint, Struck 317-320 AD, NGC Grade: MS, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 3/5, Obverse: Bust of Licinius, laureate, draped, left, holding scepter in right hand and mappa in left hand, IMP LICI-NIVS AVG, Reverse: Jupiter, nude, chlamys spread, standing left, holding globe in right hand and leaning on scepter with left hand, Crescent in left field, Officina A in right field, IOVI CONSER-VATORI AVGG, SMAL in exergue, References: RIC VII Alexandria 23.
Image: Sony ɑ 7R Ⅴ camera / Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS lens.