434, Lot: 434. Estimate $200. Sold for $700. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Leo I. AD 457-474. AR Siliqua (18.5mm, 1.79 g, 6h). Constantinople. Struck circa AD 468-474. Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right / SRI/ REI/ RVL [sic] in three lines within wreath; CONS*. RIC X – (cf. 649 for reverse legend ending in PVL, CONOS* in exergue); RSC –. Near VF, porous, slightly wavy flan. Extremely rare, with only one other specimen on CoinArchives (Lanz 125, 28 November 2005, lot 1192). .

The reverse legend would seem to be a blundered form of SAL - REI - PVB (abbreviating SALVS REIPVBLICAE, “ the health of the Republic”) which appears on RIC 646. The same blundered lettering carries over into the reign of Zeno, appearing on rare siliqua issued in his reign (see CNG 61, lot 2166). This form of legend on siliquae of Leo is extremely rare; a variant form, recorded as RIC 649, is listed as R5 (unique) and only on other example of our variant appears to be extant.