Licinius II Roman AE (AD 317-324) NGC

Own a certified Roman bronze AE of Licinius II (AD 317–324), authenticated and slabbed by NGC. This coin connects to the final bloody struggles for dominance within the Constantinian dynasty.

Licinius II was the son of Eastern Roman Emperor Licinius I and Constantia, the half-sister of Constantine the Great. In 317 AD, he was elevated to the rank of Caesar, serving as junior emperor under his father’s authority during the fragile peace between East and West.

After Licinius I was defeated by Constantine at the Battle of Chrysopolis in 324 AD, Licinius II was initially spared — a courtesy extended because of his close blood ties to Constantine. However, the Constantinian court soon became a web of rivalries and suspicion. Licinius the Younger was later implicated in the same wave of conspiracies that led to the downfall of Crispus, Constantine’s eldest son. As a result, Licinius II was executed in 326 AD.

Bronze AE coins of Licinius II typically feature his youthful, diademed portrait on the obverse, with reverses celebrating imperial virtues, dynastic strength, and military victories — key themes during a time of fragile alliances and deadly rivalries.

Certified by NGC, this AE coin offers collectors a rare glimpse into the treacherous politics of the Constantinian era, where even family ties could not guarantee survival.