IMP LIC LICINIVS P F AVG, laureate, cuirassed bust right / IOVI CONSERVATORI AVGG NN, Jupiter standing facing, head left, chlamys hanging from left shoulder, holding Victory on globe and leaning on sceptre, eagle with wreath left. ¢TS¢Γ¢  in exergue. 23mm, 3.48 grams. Mint of Thessalonica. RIC VI 59, minted 312-313 AD.

Licinius (Valerius Licinianus Licinius) was a Roman emperor who ruled parts of the eastern empire from 308 to 324 AD. Originally a close ally of Constantine the Great, he rose to power during the complex period of the Tetrarchy, when the Roman Empire was ruled by multiple emperors simultaneously. Appointed Augustus by Galerius in 308, Licinius governed the Balkans and later married Constantine’s half-sister, cementing a political alliance. Despite early cooperation, tensions with Constantine escalated into a series of civil wars. Licinius lost the decisive Battle of Chrysopolis in 324, after which Constantine became sole ruler of the empire. Although initially spared, Licinius was executed a year later, allegedly for plotting against Constantine. Licinius is also notable for co-authoring the Edict of Milan in 313 with Constantine, which granted religious tolerance to Christians and marked a turning point in Roman religious policy. His reign was marked by both military prowess and political turbulence during one of Rome’s most transformative eras.