Celtic and Ancient Coins

Basiliscus (475-6), Solidus, Rome, Milan or Ravenna, D N BASILISCVS VV AVG, pearl-diademed, helmeted and cuirassed bust facing slightly right, holding spear and shield decorated with horseman, rev. VICTORIA AVGGG S CONOR, Victory standing left, holding long cross, star in right field, 4.40g/5h (RIC –; MEC –; Lacam –, but for similar issue in the name of Zeno cf. p.857 type 2, 1 and pl.54, 4). Faint scratching in obverse field, otherwise extremely fine; unpublished in the standard references and of the greatest significance for the numismatic research of late antiquity
£1,000-1,500

Provenance:
Tellmann FPL 131, October 1968.

This issue was struck in Italy under the authority of Odovacar, from the Germanic Audawakrs, ‘watchful of wealth’, the son of the Scirii chieftain Edeko, a vassal of Huns under Attila. In 470 he was appointed leader of a band of the Scirian-Herulic foederati in Italy, and in 475 Magister militum and patrician by Julius Nepos. That same year, the Roman general Orestes promised them a third of the Italian peninsula if they led the revolt against the emperor Nepos. After the success of the revolt Orestes rescinded his pledge and elevated his son Romulus to the rank of Augustus. This resulted in Odovacar leading his tribesmen in a revolt against Orestes, who was captured and executed at Placentia and the last western emperor, Romulus Augustus, was compelled to abdicate on 4 September 476. In order to avoid conflict with Zeno and keep the administration of Italy, Odovacar renounced the meaningless title of emperor by astutely sending the imperial insignia to the eastern emperor and declared himself patrician of the western half of the Empire. Odovacar is referred to as a king (Latin rex) in many documents, but the title appears to be informal