Aelia Verina. Augusta, AD 457-484. AV Solidus (21mm, 4.48 g, 6h). Constantinople mint. Struck under Leo I, AD 462-466. Good VF. Very Rare!

Triton XXVI
Lot: 892. Estimated: $ 15 000

Roman Imperial, Coin-in-Hand Video, Gold

Sold For $ 16 000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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Aelia Verina. Augusta, AD 457-484. AV Solidus (21mm, 4.48 g, 6h). Constantinople mint. Struck under Leo I, AD 462-466. AEL ЧERI NA AЧG, pearl-diademed and draped bust right, wearing necklace and earrings; manus Dei holding nimbus above / VICTORI A AVGGG, Victory standing left, holding long jeweled cross with right hand; star in right field; CONOB. RIC X 607; MIRB 4; Depeyrot 93/2; DOCLR 593 var. (obv. legend); Biaggi –. Underlying luster, minor marks. Good VF. Very rare! One of only four of this type in Coin Archives.

Ex Moneta Imperii Romani Byzantini: The Collection of a Connoisseur (Stack’s, 12 January 2009), lot 3036; Schweizerischer Bankverein 28 (17 September 1991), lot 791.

Aelia Verina, the wife of Leo I, had an extraordinary personal history, plotting from time to time for and against her various relatives in numerous intrigues to control the succession or seize the throne. The very rare gold coinage in her name is attributed to two separate periods, an earlier issue struck in 462 or 466 and a later issue in 471 or 473. From the scant historical sources, Verina appears to have been the consummate imperial schemer who regularly instigated and switched sides in various deadly dynastic disputes without suffering any consequences for her actions. She retired to a nunnery in AD 480, but emerged in AD 484 for one final intrigue against her son-in-law Zeno. This, too, failed and Verina died in the aftermath; whether or not by violence is not recorded.

The final winners of all Triton XXVI lots will be determined at the live public sale that will be held on 10-11 January 2023.

Triton XXVI – Session Three – Lots 674-990 will be held Wednesday morning, 11 January 2023 beginning at 9:00 AM ET.

Winning bids are subject to a 22.5% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 25% for all others.

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