VICTORIA AVGGG (simultaneous strike with strike with Julius Nepos 477 / 480)

D N ENO – PERP AVG

Bust of Zeno facing, cuirassed, wearing a 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.

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

Photo d'une monnaie vendue le 23/06/2021 par Numismatica Ars Classica, Auction 125, lot 805, lien vers la vente: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=8267143, lien vers leur site: https://www.arsclassicacoins.com/. It is the coin illustrated in Lacam: CLXI type 2 (page 649) and plate 42, n°107. Also illustrated in the RIC X plate 69, n°3225.

Very archaic style. The horseman in the shield does not slay any enemy. Another coin is preserved at the British Museum, Museum number 1860,0329.243, ex: Count John Francis William de Salis, link to the coin: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/C_1860-0329-243. It is the copy illustrated in Lacam: CLXII, groupe II variété a (page 653).

I note that the coins illustrated in the RIC X plate 69, under the numbers: 3224, 3224 fn and 3225 seem to show a letter N of D N in the shape of an X framed by two bars. As I observed on the AYC #9 g obv var off var, RIC 930. Probably a retrograde letter N then corrected.

These coins are struck at the same time as the coins of Julius Nepos and its recognizable with the marks M D without star.

On the reverse I noted ''Angel'' in the description. We can also say that this is Victoria but the image of the victory at that time had indeed become that of an angel symbolizing the Christian victory.