Watch List notes:

Interregnum, Ricimer, in Name of Leo I. Solidus; Interregnum, Ricimer, in Name of Leo I; Interregnum, Ricimer, in name of Leo I, Rome, 465-467 AD, Solidus, 4.42g. RIC-2518 (R3); Depeyrot-52/2 (p. 156, 9 spec.); Lacam I-pl. CIII = II, pl. 22.5 (R5). Obv: D N LEO PERPE - TVVS AVG Pearl- and rosette-diademed, draped, cuirassed bust of Leo I r., seen from front. Rx: VICTORI - A AVGGG Emperor standing facing, placing r. foot on head of man-headed serpent, holding long cross and Victory on globe, R - M in field, COMOB in exergue. NGC 4934201-002. Very rare: only nine specimens known to Depeyrot. This Rome-mint solidus for the Eastern emperor Leo I was assigned to the reign of Libius Severus by Lacam and Depeyrot, but to the interregnum 465-467 AD by Kent in RIC X, p. 193, who pointed out that from 425 on the Western emperors apparently abstained from striking coins for their Eastern colleagues, suggesting that all later Western coins in the names of Eastern emperors should be assigned to periods of interregnum Ricimer 405?-472 AD Ricimer's father was chief of the Suebi (a Germanic people) and his mother was Wallia, a Visigothic princess. To begin his career he became friends with Majorian before he became emperor. Ricimer's younger sister later married Gondioc, the king of the Burgundians. In 454/455 after the murders of Aetius, of the Western emperor Valentinian III, and then of Valentinian's successor Petronius Maximus, the Vandals sacked Rome and the Visigothic king made Avitus emperor, with the reluctant support of Majorian. Then Avitus made Ricimer Comes, count of the empire. At that time the West was only made up of the Italian peninsula and portions of southern Gaul. After some victories Avitus made Ricimer Militum Praesentalis, commander of the Western field army, the empire's second highest military ranking. Ricimer and Majorian then convinced the Senate to authorize a military expedition against Avitus, whom they were able to defeat in the battle of Piacenza on October 16, 456. They then successfully besieged Avitus in Ravenna and forced him to become Bishop of Piacenza but they executed him soon after. In 457, with the Western throne vacant, the Eastern emperor Leo I appointed Ricimer Patrician and Master of the Soldiers, hoping to be able to use him as his vice-regent in the West. From then until his death in 472 Ricimer functioned as kingmaker and power behind the throne under the Western emperors Majorian (457-461), Libius Severus (461-465), Anthemius (467-472), and Olybrius (472). Only four years were to pass after Ricimer's death in 472 until Odoacer deposed Romulus Augustus in 476 AD and so ended the Western Roman empire on the traditional reckoning. MS

Estimate: $12500