Hi all. Is it wishful thinking to attribute this coin as follows? Julius Nepos, AE10mm, 0.9g, 475AD Obverseearl diademed, draped & cuirassed bust right Legend (DN) IVL (NEPOS PF AVG) Reverse: Nepos monogram within wreath RIC X 3222
Hmm, not my area but after checking Helvitica's page on monograms and acsearch.info, I could believe it! Fingers crossed for you
Yes, it does look like a Nepos monogram. Other candidates are Libius Severus (with tooled obverse?) Or Ostrogoths Ravenna monogram?
Maybe @ValiantKnight will weigh in. He's pretty good with identifying odd bronzes from that general time.
From Nepotism? Etymology[edit] From French népotisme, from Italian nepotismo, from Latin nepōs (“nephew”), a reference to the practice of popes appointing relatives (most often nephews) as cardinals during the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
It certainly is wishful thinking, but it's not impossible. I do see the IVL, and the detail that can be discerned on the reverse does jibe with the left side of Nepos' monogram. If it's Nepos, you win the rarity contest.
It is indeed Nepos. The ones I've seen, the Ob is helmeted blah blah, not pearl diademed. Though that isn't a big deal. Hell of a nice cook coin, m8ght be tooled. Thread is old, any chance you got it checked out? Update would be awesome.
Fully aware this is a 4.5 year old thread, but IMO the OP coin is a counterfeit, similar to the ones that Emporium Hamburg has been peddling for years. Probably a genuine, featureless coin with the details added in layers of fake patina
I agree with Finn235. I'm by no means certain, but even before I saw the last post, it reminded me immediately of the typical "Emporium Hamburg fake", which, among many other characteristics, often have this somewhat strangely thin lettering.
