Zeno. Second reign, AD 476-491. AV Solidus (19mm, 4.50 g, 7h). Constantinople mint, 2nd officina. NGC MS, 5/5, 4/5.

CNG Feature Auction 133
Lot: 638. Estimated: $ 1 000

Roman Imperial, Gold

Sold For $ 2 125. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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Zeno. Second reign, AD 476-491. AV Solidus (19mm, 4.50 g, 7h). Constantinople mint, 2nd officina. Pearl-diademed, helmeted, and cuirassed bust facing slightly right, holding spear over shoulder and shield decorated with soldier on horseback motif / Victory standing left, holding long, jeweled cross; star to right; B//CONOB. RIC X 911 and 930; Depeyrot 108/1. In NGC encapsulation 2405970-007, graded MS, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 4/5.

Zeno’s ascent to the throne in the east followed an interesting path. The succession of Emperor Leo I during the latter part of his reign was not secure as he had no surviving son. His hope rested in an heir being produced from his daughter Ariadne’s marriage to the Isaurian soldier Zeno. The couple produced a son and heir for Leo I who was also given the name Leo. When Leo I’s health began to fail, he elevated his grandson to the rank of Caesar in October AD 473 and subsequently to Augustus in January 474. Leo I died a few days later. This left the young and sickly Leo II as sole emperor. Leo I’s widow Aelia Verina arranged for Leo II to appoint his own father, Zeno, as co-emperor on 9 February AD 474. This arrangement lasted until the young Leo II died in November of the same year. This left Zeno as sole ruler. Zeno was thrust into a difficult political climate in Constantinople that required one to possess great political acumen to survive. He was ultimately deposed and fled with his wife to Isauria on 9 January AD 475. Zeno, however, was an adept survivor and successfully navigated a return to power. His second reign lasted from late August 476 until his death in 491. Upon his death, the question of succession again arose. This time, his widow, Ariadne appointed a court official named Anastasius as his successor who she then married, continuing her tenure as empress. Thus the page turned to the reign of Anastasius who reformed the currency system and ushered in what is now widely divided from late Roman coinage and instead referred to as Byzantine coinage. This distinction leaves Zeno as the final late Roman emperor in the east.

The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 133 lots will be determined at the live online sale that will be held on 15-16 September 2026.

CNG Feature Auction 133 – Session Three – Lot 595-896 will be held Wednesday morning, 16 September 2026 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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