VICTORIA AVGGG (simultaneous strike with Julius Nepos 477 / 480)
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.
Marks
Coin illustrated in the RIC X planche 69, sources: British Museum, Dumbarton Oaks, Civiche raccolte archeologiche e Numismatiche of Milan, Museo civico of Pavia.
I note a similar coin with different dies and of a more neat style, illustrated in Lacam: CLXII, groupe III variété a (page 653). Source: Milan.
The other coins of which I have been able to see the photos have an obverse legend with the letters F instead of the letters E (AYC #15, RIC -). The RIC noted for the n°3227: ''one obverse die (L) reads PFPR''. I think this is this coin preserved at the British Museum, Museum number 1867,0101.1005, ex: Louis, Duc de Blacas d'Aulps, link to the coin: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/C_1867-0101-1005. If it is this coin, the RIC X did not note that ZENO was also written ZFNO. The RIC X noted that the n°3224, 3227 and 3230 (Julius Nepos) share the same reverse die. The two coins illustrating the RIC 3224 and 3227, plate 69, effectively share the same reverse die. The one illustrating the RIC 3230 (Julius Nepos) shows a different reverse die. It must therefore be one of the coins quoted as source of the RIC 3230: Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Dumbarton Oaks, Civiche raccolte archeologiche e numismatiche of Milan, Museo Civico of Pavia, Museo Nazionale of Roma. To complete, the RIC X added an obverse die link between the °3227 and 3233. The coins illustrated on Plate 69 dont show this link. It is therefore probably two coins quoted in the sources. Sources of the n°3227: British Museum, Dumbarton Oaks, Civiche raccolte archeologiche e numismatiche of Milan, Museo Civico of Pavia. Sources of the n°3233: British Museum, Leiden Het Koninklijk Penningkabinet, Civiche raccolte archeologiche e numismatiche of Milan, Museo Civico of Pavia, Hermitage museum of St Petersbourg.
The RIC n°3237 is similar to the n°3227 which was badly described. The RIC X gave the legend D N ZENO PERP AVG, however the coin shown is with PEPR .. And there is only one source given: Kungelige Myntkabinett of Stockholm. It must therefore be the illustrated coin. The RIC X had also classified this coin as a separate number because of its crude style. The RIC n°3238 is described with the legend Z4, therefore with the legend currently existing for the copy illustrating the n°3227 plate 70. This time the legend is correctly described but we distinguish P - PPR or P - PRR. The quality of the photo cannot permit to be certain. Source: Leiden Het Koninklijk Penningkabinet (coin also classified with a unique number because of its style similar to n°3237). Given the difficult political conditions of this time, the nature of the engravers and the overall style of the coinage of this mint; I did not find it useful to create a different line for these two coins. Their style being not so far of the style of the other coins. I add that i have noticed that the two coins illustrated in the RIC X in n ° 3237 and 3238 are illustrated in the ''Trésor de Vedrin: Sous d'or de Magnus Maximus à Anastase, 1965'' under the n°18 a for the RIC n°3237 and n° 20 a for the RIC n°3238.
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.