VICTORIA AVGGG (2nd reign, 476 / 491, 5th 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 31/03/2019 by Nomos AG, Obolos Web Auction 12, lot 867, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=5810622, link to their website: https://nomosag.com/.

Variant with jewels on the diadem and the mark CONOR. Another coin with the mark CONOR undoubted is preserved at the British Museum, Museum number 1860,0329.244, link to the coin: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/C_1860-0329-244. Ex: John Francis William de Salis. I note two other coins sharing the same obverse die but with a reverse die CONOR officina B and another coin sharing the same obverse die with CONOB / R officina . Their style is between the 3rd and the 5th issue, but still closer to the 5th issue. Here are the two coins:

Photo of a coin sold the 24/05/2016 by Numismatica Ars Classica, Auction 93, lot 1122, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=3109861, link to their website: https://www.arsclassicacoins.com/.

Photo of a coin sold the 24/05/2016 by Numismatica Ars Classica, Auction 93, lot 1121, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=3109861, link to their website: https://www.arsclassicacoins.com/. It is the AYC #10 b mark corr, RIC 929.

The marks CONOR are classified as AYC #10. Here are the different variants:

- #10: CONOR mark not corrected. Examples: AYC #10 f, indicating that it is the CONOR mark associated with the seventh known officina: Z (without officina or first officina: no letter, second officina: a .. etc.). #10 (1) with legend break on the reverse.

- ''mark corr'' in the reference indicates that the mark has been corrected. When the letter R of CONOR has a thin line which has been added to form a letter B. 

Read this article about CONOR marks: https://www.all-your-coins.com/en/blog/antique/romaines/analyse-de-la-marque-conor. I also assigned the same RIC numbers as for AYC #9, the RIC not having noted these marks CONOR.

The coins of the fifth issue are recognizable by style. The face is wider with a long and wide nose. Zeno looking more slightly to the right.

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.