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Orbis Collectibles

RIC X Zeno 904

DocumentedSupported by at least one credible specialist source.

Record status

Individual type · research required

Period

AD 475–AD 476

Issuing entity

Roman Empire

Solidus in gold struck at Antioch, Syria under Zeno, AD 475–AD 476, catalogued as RIC X Zeno 904. Obverse: Bust of Zeno, helmeted, pearl-diademed, cuirassed, facing front, holding spear in right hand behind head and shield decorated with horseman on left arm.

Reverse: Victory, winged, draped, standing left, supporting long jeweled cross; star in right field. Obverse legend: D N ZENO P-ERPET AVG. Reverse legend: VICTORI-A AVGGG.

Evidence at a glance

Linked sources
2
Photograph views
2
Catalogue references
1

Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.

Historical context

Zeno was Eastern Roman emperor from 474 to 475 and again from 476 to 491. In early 475, he fled Constantinople following a revolt that installed Basiliscus, before marching back to reclaim the imperial throne in mid-476. The gold solidus, introduced in the early fourth century as a coin of high purity, was struck for Zeno in Antioch, the strategically situated capital of Roman Syria on the Orontes River.

Physical characteristics

Material
Gold
Manufacture
Struck
Denomination
Solidus

Technical characteristics

Mint
Antioch, Syria
Issuing authority
Zeno

Design

Obverse type
Bust of Zeno, helmeted, pearl-diademed, cuirassed, facing front, holding spear in right hand behind head and shield decorated with horseman on left arm
Reverse type
Victory, winged, draped, standing left, supporting long jeweled cross; star in right field
Obverse legend
D N ZENO P-ERPET AVG
Reverse legend
VICTORI-A AVGGG

Identification

How to identify
RIC separates types by mint and officina marks, obverse legend and bust form, and reverse legend and type; check the exergue and field marks against the RIC number before accepting a match.
Type corpus record
https://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.10.zeno(1)_e.904
Catalogue reference
RIC X Zeno 904
Type corpus identifier
ric.10.zeno(1)_e.904
Source note
The type record is Online Coins of the Roman Empire (OCRE), the American Numismatic Society's digital edition of Roman Imperial Coinage.

Documentation checklist

Denomination
Recorded
Issue or mint date
Recorded
Material
Recorded
Weight
Research required
Mint or printer
Recorded
Mint or printer mark
Research required
Catalogue reference
Recorded
Attached photograph (check rights)
Recorded

Recorded means a field is present, not independently verified. Read its wording, supporting source and the entry’s confidence level.

Catalogue references

Research required

  • Nominal weight not transcribed from a primary reference
  • Diameter and die axis not transcribed
  • Mint mark and officina detail not transcribed
  • No rights-cleared photograph identified yet
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