Still can't believe I own this coin. This was not a planned purchase or anything, but I just happened to find this coin at the right time and at the right price. A coin minted around the year the Roman empire fell. Moreover, a solidus issued by Basiliscus, the general/emperor who pretty much sealed the deal for the end of the Western half at the Battle of Cape Bon. A short summary of Basiliscus, a significant figure but now just a footnote in history. Serving as Magister Militum of Thrace under his brother-in-law Leo I, he proved to be an ineffective general during the ill-fated invasion of the Vandalic kingdom. In a truce negotiated with Vandal king Gaiseric, Basiliscus unwittingly allowed the construction of fire ships, leading to the defeat of Roman armada. With the loss of Africa, Rome's breadbasket was gone. This military failure also resulted in a staggering loss of approximately 59,000 kilograms of gold and nearly plunged the Roman Empire into bankruptcy for the subsequent three decades. Despite his shortcomings, Basiliscus received a pardon facilitated by his sister and retired. However, amidst the political upheaval following Leo I's death, Basiliscus seized power, toppling Zeno and became the emperor for a brief period from January 9, 475, until August 476 AD. Zeno, informed of the conspiracy, managed to escape in time, returning in 476 with an army to capture Basiliscus. The captured emperor was subsequently exiled to Cappadocia, where historical accounts diverge on his fate—either execution by beheading or imprisoned in a dried-up cistern and left to starve to death. Obv: Basiliscus in Military dress standing facing. DN BASILISCVS PP AVG Rev: Victory standing left supporting long jeweled cross. In right field star. VICTORIA AVGGG Δ. CONOB in exergue. Weight: 4.45g 475 - 476 AD RIC 1003 Ex Diana Numismatica Rome October 2014 This is my second solidus, here's Basiliscus with Justinian the Great. I like the contrast between the coins of a Roman emperor deemed one of the least effective and another hailed as the most effective, the latter successfully accomplishing what the former had been unable to complete. Please share your late Roman/Germanic coinage!
Victory was a little premature. Wonderful coin and write-up. Not something you stumble upon easily I imagine. Congratulations!
Outstanding. You must be thrilled by holding them in hand and thinking of the history behind those gold coins. One question: Do they have different color of gold because of camera angle or do they actually have different color? Nothing wrong though, I've seen same type of gold coins with different colors. Even Krugerrands (bullions coins) often have different colors.
Yep, these coins just ooze history. The first image was taken under direct sunlight, bringing out the full colour of nearly 24k gold. The bottom images were taken indoors under LED, giving a bit of greenish tone. In hand both look similar in gold content, but due to angles the Justinian look more bright.
Basiliscus is pretty rare, no? Is he one of the ones you only see in gold? The bronzes were pretty tiny and crude by this time, right?
From what I've seen his gold coinage are more plenty than his bronze issues, whereas, there are more bronze follis of his wife Aelia Zenonis than in gold. Even for a crude bronze, they still cost 100s of dollars!
Just an update. I think I've found an obverse die-match! The first one is mine (a better image from the seller). The bottom one was sold by Jean Elsen & ses Fils sa, Lot 894 - Auction 154 https://elsen.bidinside.com/nl/lot/20180/basiliscus-475-476-av-solidus-/ Major elements being the die-break connecting the tip of spear to P, and the headless horseman!
I'd LOVE to have a Basiliscus Solidus, very cool!! Yup, definitely an obverse die-match. (The rev. looks like the same engraver.) They always have ~4-8 dots around the upper cross and Victory's head. Marks like that can be used to align a design or legend, but it doesn't seem to be the case here. More like some kind of control symbol/mint signature. They're curious, and interesting. I have a small collection of Solidi (and some other Byzantine gold, not shown, and Greek gold). Theodosius II (and a much worse duplicate, not shown): Marcian (I actually kinda like the cross graffitto): Justin II (bleh): Constans II et al. Constans II et al. This reverse is much scarcer; it always surprises me that no one seems to care much, so these can be acquired at the same price as the one with steps under the cross (or at least they could when I bought mine): Constantine IV. Favorite! Photograph by Rasiel Suarez: I sold some other ones several years ago. I really with I could get the Honorius with a "captive" reverse back NO LONGER MY COIN
Congrats for this very rare Basiliscus solidus. Here are my own late Roman silver and gold Valens, AR siliqua, Trier mint, AD 367-75 - RIC IX Treveri 27E Valentinian I, AV solidus, Constantinople mint, AD 367. Cf. RIC IX, 29a. This one is particular because the CONS on the exergue lacks the star and wreath that are present on most specimens. This coin is a rev. die match with a specimen in the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien (Vienna), RÖ 44087. Theodosius II, AV solidus, Constantinople mint, AD 441-450
Neato topic! Here are some of mine.... Lombardic Kingdom AV Tremissis ND 670-710AD Pavia Mint In Name of Heraclius 610-41 Unique/ only ex. known Ostrogothic Kingdom/ Italia AV Solidus ND Roma Mint Athalarich 526-32 In name of Justinian I 527-65 Ostrogothic Italia AV Tremissis ND Roma Mint Wittigis 534-39 In Name of Justinian I 527-65
