TYPE Roman Empire, Licinius I (308-24 AD), billon siliqua (follis, argenteus), Trier mint, struck ca. 318/9 AD DESCRIPTION . Obv: Laureate bust of Licinius left, holding mappa and scepter (or thunderbolt and spear), Latin legend IMP LICINIVS AVG Rev: Emperor as Jupiter seated l. on eagle r., holding thunderbolt and scepter, legend: IOVI CONSERVATORI, mintmark PTR below REFERENCE: RIC VII 212, RSC 99, VM 9 GRADING: F+, heavily porous billon, scarce ORDER INFO: R2490, $48 A scarce type with unusual iconography and an interesting academic debate surrounding it. Along with a couple of companion types (e.g. Constantine I siliqua-follis) that comprise this Treveri-only scarce issue, their metal composition - billon of appreciable silver content (perhaps 25%) - is at odds with the silverless striking era it's associated with. This stirred the controversy over whether this was an attempted (and abandoned) silver issue or a special type of follis, whether dating is correct, etc. (See extensive discussion in RIC VII, with numerous references). Even the interpretation of some of the iconography varies between references, though the close association of Licinius with Jupiter is unmistakable - all at an era when Christianity was already officially sanctioned following the Edict of Milan.