VICTORIA AVGGG (2nd reign, 476 / 491, 1rst issue)

Bust of Zeno facing, cuirassed, wearing helmet with crest and a pearl diadem. Holding a spear passing behind his head with the right hand and a decorated shield with a horseman slaying an enemy, with the left hand.

An angel standing left, holding a long latin cross decorated with jewels. Behind her on the right, a star.

Photo of a coin sold the 25/06/2020 by Roma Numismatics Limited, E-Sale 72, lot 1712, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=7117827, link to their website: https://www.romanumismatics.com/.

I do not know what prompted the authors of the RIC X to classify the coin n° 901 (without official mark), AYC #2), in the 1st reign. No note explains this choice. The style is similar to n° 905 ... Perhaps there had been a find of this coin with other well dated coins. The coins of this series all seem to share the same obverse die (AYC #3, 3 a and 3 b).

I classify this coin for the second reign given that it very probably shares the same obverse die (impossible to be 100% sure because of the the quality of the photo) as the coin illustrated plate 30, n° 905 in the RIC X.

The coin illustrated in RIC X plate 30 n°905 fn, appears to be a Germanic imitation. The style is typical of this people, the letter G of AVG is distorted and the officina is R.

On the reverse, I noted ''Angel'' in the description, we can also say that it is about the Victory, but the image of the victory at that time had indeed become that of an angel symbolizing the Christian victory.