VICTORIA AVGGG (2nd reign, 476 / 491, 5th issue)


Reference : AYC #10 h var mark corr (1), RIC 930
Weight: 4.53 grs
Metal: Gold
Diameter: 20.00 mm
Scarcity: Scarce
Type:

Obverse

Reverse

D N ZENO – PERP AVG

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.

VICTOR - I - A AVGGG

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

Marks

CONOB / R
Numéro :

Photo of a coin sold the 16/05/2007 by Numismatica Ars Classica, Auction 40, lot 916, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=372480, link to their website: https://www.arsclassicacoins.com/.

Variant without jewells on the diadem and the mark CONOB / R. Very weak legend break on the reverse, another coin reported in the comment for AYC #10 h mark corr (1), RIC 929 (sharing the same reverse die as this AYC #10 h mark corr, RIC 929) shows a few larger space between the letter R and the letter I on the reverse. It is a coin sold the 05/05/2018 by Roma Numismatics Limited, E-Sale 45, lot 750. I note an unimportant detail: the officina letter, throughout the series, is seen in a vertical position most often and more rarely in a horizontal position.

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.