VAL LICINIVS NOB CAES, laureate. draped and cuirassed bust right / IOVI CONSERVATORI, Jupiter standing left, holding thunderbolt and sceptre, chlamys spread behind him over both arms. Mintmark T-star-in-crescent-A. 21mm, 2.67 grams. Arles mint, struck 318 CE. RIC 160.

Rare type.

Licinius II was the young son of Licinius and was elevated to the rank of caesar in 317 during the power-sharing arrangements of the late Roman Empire. As a child ruler, he held nominal authority in the eastern provinces under his father’s control, while real power remained with Licinius. His position ended after his father’s defeat by Constantine the Great in 324, which brought the entire empire under Constantine’s rule. Although initially spared, Licinius II was executed a few years later, likely on Constantine’s orders, as part of efforts to eliminate potential rivals.