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ANA Signature Sale 3094 19-20 Aug 2021
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Ancients
Procopius, Eastern Roman Empire (AD 365-366). AV solidus (21mm, 4.46 gm, 6h). NGC MS 4/5 - 3/5, flan flaw. Nicomedia, 5th officina, late AD 365-27 May AD 366. D N PROCO-PIVS AVG, pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust of Procopius right, seen from front / REPARATI-O FEL TEMP, Procopius standing facing in military attire, head right, grounded spear in right hand, left hand on grounded ornate shield; SMNЄ• in exergue. RIC IX 1.3. Depeyrot 17/1. Extremely rare - one of only two examples from Nicomedia in sales archives.
Procopius was the last member of the house of Constantine to don the diadem, though his reign lasted only a few months. A maternal kinsman of Julian II, Procopius had a successful but undistinguished career as a civil servant and was made a comes, or count, when Julian won the throne, in AD 361. When Julian made ready his invasion of Persia two years later, he placed Procopius in joint command of a 30,000-man force intended to invade by a different route and eventually join Julian's main force in Mesopotamia. Procopius later claimed that Julian gave him a purple cloak along with instructions to take over as emperor should Julian be killed in battle. At any event, Procopius' task force failed miserably in its mission, perhaps contributing to the defeat of Julian's invasion and his death in battle, on 27 June AD 363. When the army chose Jovian as emperor, Procopius did not contest the office and escorted Julian's body back to Tarsus for burial. He tried to resume his former low-profile life, but was forced to go underground when Jovian abruptly died a few months later and the brothers Valentinian I and Valens took over the western and eastern empires. Valens had a deeply suspicious nature and launched a pogrom of any potential rivals. The arrests and other actions made Valens deeply unpopular and provoked Procopius into making a try for the throne. While Valens was visiting Syria, Procopius re-emerged at the army camp in Constantinople, on 28 September AD 365, wrapped in Julian's purple cloak. Tired of Valens' tight-fisted ways, the garrison proclaimed him emperor. Procopius quickly established control of western Asia Minor, including the important mint city of Nicomedia. He sought help from the Visigoths against Valens, but the barbarians held back and soon some of Procopius' best officers and soldiers began defecting back to Valens. Meanwhile, Valens built his own forces and maneuvered Procopius into a decisive battle at Nicolea, Phrygia, in May AD 366. Procopius suffered a crushing defeat and was summarily executed in the aftermath, ending his eight-month usurpation.
The gold coinage of Procopius carries on the Constantinian tradition of fine portraiture and crisp execution. The exceptional portrait on this issue shows him wearing a close-cropped beard, probably a symbol of sympathy and mourning for his kinsman Julian II. His beard and the lack of any Christian symbolism on the reverse also hint at possible Pagan sympathies.
https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/roman-imperial/ancients-procopius-eastern-roman-empire-ad-365-366-av-solidus-21mm-446-gm-6h-ngc-ms-4-5-3-5-flan-flaw/a/3094-33114.s?type=CoinArchives3094
HID02906262019
© 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Estimate: 15000-20000 USD
Procopius, Eastern Roman Empire (AD 365-366). AV solidus (21mm, 4.46 gm, 6h). NGC MS 4/5 - 3/5, flan flaw. Nicomedia, 5th officina, late AD 365-27 May AD 366. D N PROCO-PIVS AVG, pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust of Procopius right, seen from front / REPARATI-O FEL TEMP, Procopius standing facing in military attire, head right, grounded spear in right hand, left hand on grounded ornate shield; SMNЄ• in exergue. RIC IX 1.3. Depeyrot 17/1. Extremely rare - one of only two examples from Nicomedia in sales archives.
Procopius was the last member of the house of Constantine to don the diadem, though his reign lasted only a few months. A maternal kinsman of Julian II, Procopius had a successful but undistinguished career as a civil servant and was made a comes, or count, when Julian won the throne, in AD 361. When Julian made ready his invasion of Persia two years later, he placed Procopius in joint command of a 30,000-man force intended to invade by a different route and eventually join Julian's main force in Mesopotamia. Procopius later claimed that Julian gave him a purple cloak along with instructions to take over as emperor should Julian be killed in battle. At any event, Procopius' task force failed miserably in its mission, perhaps contributing to the defeat of Julian's invasion and his death in battle, on 27 June AD 363. When the army chose Jovian as emperor, Procopius did not contest the office and escorted Julian's body back to Tarsus for burial. He tried to resume his former low-profile life, but was forced to go underground when Jovian abruptly died a few months later and the brothers Valentinian I and Valens took over the western and eastern empires. Valens had a deeply suspicious nature and launched a pogrom of any potential rivals. The arrests and other actions made Valens deeply unpopular and provoked Procopius into making a try for the throne. While Valens was visiting Syria, Procopius re-emerged at the army camp in Constantinople, on 28 September AD 365, wrapped in Julian's purple cloak. Tired of Valens' tight-fisted ways, the garrison proclaimed him emperor. Procopius quickly established control of western Asia Minor, including the important mint city of Nicomedia. He sought help from the Visigoths against Valens, but the barbarians held back and soon some of Procopius' best officers and soldiers began defecting back to Valens. Meanwhile, Valens built his own forces and maneuvered Procopius into a decisive battle at Nicolea, Phrygia, in May AD 366. Procopius suffered a crushing defeat and was summarily executed in the aftermath, ending his eight-month usurpation.
The gold coinage of Procopius carries on the Constantinian tradition of fine portraiture and crisp execution. The exceptional portrait on this issue shows him wearing a close-cropped beard, probably a symbol of sympathy and mourning for his kinsman Julian II. His beard and the lack of any Christian symbolism on the reverse also hint at possible Pagan sympathies.
https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/roman-imperial/ancients-procopius-eastern-roman-empire-ad-365-366-av-solidus-21mm-446-gm-6h-ngc-ms-4-5-3-5-flan-flaw/a/3094-33114.s?type=CoinArchives3094
HID02906262019
© 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Estimate: 15000-20000 USD