Licinius I, 308-324. Follis (Bronze, 21 mm, 2.95 g, 6 h), Rome, 314. IMP LICINIVS P F AVG Laureate and cuirassed bust of Licinius I to right. Rev. LIB-ER-A-TOR OR-BIS / R✱S Licinius I, in military attire, on horseback galloping right, extending his right hand and holding shield in his left; below horse, lion advancing right, head to left, with a javelin lodged in its back. RIC -. Extremely rare. A beautiful piece with a very attractive reverse. Minor areas of weakness, otherwise, about extremely fine.


This unusual reverse type was not included by Bruun in RIC VII, but several examples for both Constantine and Licinius were published by J.-M. Doyen: Une émission constantinienne méconnue (Rome, 313) et la date de la 3ème réduction pondérale du follis, in: Bulletin du Cercle d'Études Numismatiques 27/1 (1990), p. 1-9. The reverse legend praises Licinius as the liberator of the world.