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coin
Object Type
coin
Museum number
B.12598
Denomination
siliqua
, 1/2
Description
Silver coin.
(whole)
Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Zeno, right.
(obverse)
Eagle standing left on branch, with head right.
(reverse)
State
Associated with:
Odovacar's Kingdom of Italy
(?)
Europe: Odovacar's Kingdom of Italy
Associated with:
Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy
(?)
Europe: Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy
Authority
Issuer:
Odovacar, King of Italy
(?)
Issuer:
Theodoric I, King of the Ostrogoths
(?)
Cultures/periods
Germanic
Production date
477-491
Production place
Minted in:
Ravenna (city)
Materials
silver
Dimensions
Die-axis:
6 o'clock
Diameter:
15 millimetres
Weight:
0.920 grammes
(holed)
$Inscriptions
Curator's comments
In this coin, the inscription on the obverse shows a legend with the reversed Z in ZENO and the use of Λ instead of A. On the reverse, the eagle is standing left on a prow or branch, but unlike the type minted in Milan, the bird has wings spread in a different way and no cross is recorded above the eagle.
Bibliographic references
RIC10 / The Roman imperial coinage, vol. 10: The divided empire and the fall of the western parts, AD 395-491.
(3648)
PCR / Principal coins of the Romans: Volume I: The Republic c. 290 - 31 BC; Volume II: The Principate 31 BC - AD 296; Volume III: The Dominate AD 294 - 498.
(1647)
BZ3 / Catalogue of the Coins of the Vandals, Ostrogoths and Lombards and of the empires of Thessalonica, Nicaea and Trebizond in the British Museum
(8, p.44)
Sabatier / Monnaies Byzantines Frappées sous les Empreurs d’Orient
(13)
Baldi 2014 / Ostrogothic Coins in the British Museum
(36.1)
Location
Not on display
Subjects
emperor/empress
bird
Associated names
Named in inscription & portrayed:
Zeno
Acquisition name
Donated by:
Count John Francis William de Salis
Acquisition date
1860
Acquisition notes
COLLNAME : Odovacaz 8
Department
Coins and Medals
Registration number
B.12598
C&M catalogue number
BZ3 (Vandals)
(44)
(8)