Roma Numismatics Ltd
Auction XXV 22-23 Sep 2022
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Basiliscus AV Solidus. Unidentified imperial mint (?), 9 January - August AD 475. D N bASILISCµS P P AVG, helmeted, pearl-diademed and cuirassed bust facing, holding spear and shield decorated with horseman and fallen enemy motif / VICTORIA AVGGG S, Victory standing facing, head to left, holding long jewelled cross; star in right field, CONOR in exergue. RIC X -; Lacam -, cf. pl. CCII for CONOR solidi in the name of Zeno; Depeyrot -; MEC -; cf. UBS 85, lot 69 var. (CONOR, but VV AVG on obv.); cf. DNW A7, lot 1304 var. (same); cf. CNG e361, lot 26 var. (same). 4.40g, 21mm, 6h.
Extremely Fine. Apparently the second known example, and of considerable numismatic interest, further supporting the theory of an unidentified imperial mint.
This coin published in I. Vecchi, R. Beale and S. Parkin, The Mare Nostrum Hoard (forthcoming);
From the Mare Nostrum Hoard (1954).
Although the CONOR mintmark was assigned by Lacam to the reign of the Ostrogothic king Theoderic (AD 475/493-526), Metlich in COI (2004) states that no solidi in the name of Zeno can be attributed to Theoderic, implying that such issues must be official coinages of the Emperor. P. Grierson furthermore notes a Zeno with Leo tremissis with the CONOR mintmark in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection (DOCLR 628), which he assigned to Constantinople. The CONOR mintmark has been hitherto largely considered to be an unofficial issue, however an argument has been made (see CNG 106, lot 861) for these being the product of an unknown but well-structured official mint whose identity has not been yet established, based on the recorded employment of at least eight officina letters, this being incompatible with known contemporary Germanic pseudo-imperial coinage.
Exceedingly rare pseudo-imperial coins in the name of Basiliscus are known with the CONOR mintmark, however those examples are all struck from the same die pair, and are clearly imitations, being stylistically distinct and displaying an obverse legend ending in VV AVG rather than the normal PP AVG. An example of this type was presented in Roma Numismatics Auction XXIII, which like the present specimen is certainly official in style, and is evidently the prototype for the above mentioned pseudo-imperial issues struck in Basilicus' name. Now known from 2 obverse and 2 reverse dies, the existence of these two coins support the theory of an unidentified official mint which also struck coinage for Zeno with the CONOR mintmark.
Extremely Fine. Apparently the second known example, and of considerable numismatic interest, further supporting the theory of an unidentified imperial mint.
This coin published in I. Vecchi, R. Beale and S. Parkin, The Mare Nostrum Hoard (forthcoming);
From the Mare Nostrum Hoard (1954).
Although the CONOR mintmark was assigned by Lacam to the reign of the Ostrogothic king Theoderic (AD 475/493-526), Metlich in COI (2004) states that no solidi in the name of Zeno can be attributed to Theoderic, implying that such issues must be official coinages of the Emperor. P. Grierson furthermore notes a Zeno with Leo tremissis with the CONOR mintmark in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection (DOCLR 628), which he assigned to Constantinople. The CONOR mintmark has been hitherto largely considered to be an unofficial issue, however an argument has been made (see CNG 106, lot 861) for these being the product of an unknown but well-structured official mint whose identity has not been yet established, based on the recorded employment of at least eight officina letters, this being incompatible with known contemporary Germanic pseudo-imperial coinage.
Exceedingly rare pseudo-imperial coins in the name of Basiliscus are known with the CONOR mintmark, however those examples are all struck from the same die pair, and are clearly imitations, being stylistically distinct and displaying an obverse legend ending in VV AVG rather than the normal PP AVG. An example of this type was presented in Roma Numismatics Auction XXIII, which like the present specimen is certainly official in style, and is evidently the prototype for the above mentioned pseudo-imperial issues struck in Basilicus' name. Now known from 2 obverse and 2 reverse dies, the existence of these two coins support the theory of an unidentified official mint which also struck coinage for Zeno with the CONOR mintmark.