COINAGE OF THE EASTERN ROMAN EMPIRE
ZENO AND LEO CAESAR, 476-477
Mint of Constantinopolis
Solidus. Officina E. Obv. D N ZENO ET L - EO NOV CAES Helmeted and cuirassed bust facing, head turned skightly to r., spear over r. shoulder, shield with horseman device on l. shoulder. Rev. VICTORI - A AVGGG E Victory standing to l. holding long jewelled cross, star on r. CONOB in exergue. RIC 906. LRC -. MIRB 6. 4.45 g. Very rare. Attractive specimen. Well centred and on broad planchet. About extremely fine. Ex Auction Dr. Busso Peus Nachf. 413, Frankfurt, 2014. Lot 597. (Zeno and Leo II) Ex Auction Helios; Munich 2010, Lot 471. Peus did not recognize the fact that the Leo in the obverse legend is not Leo II but Leo Caesar, son of the magister militum Armatus, who was raised to the rank of Caesar as payment for Armatus’s support of Zeno in gaining his 2nd reign.