TETRARCHY	DIOCLETIAN	MAXIMIANUS	AMANDUS
DOMITIUS DOMIT.	CONSTANTIUS I	THEODORA	CHILD
GALERIUS	GALERIA VALERIA	SEVERUS II	MAXIMINUS II
PERSECUTION	MAXENTIUS	ROMULUS	DOM. ALEXANDER
LICINIUS	CONSTANTIA	LICINIUS JR.	VALERIUS VALENS
MARTINIAN	CONSTANTINIANS	CONSTANTINE I	COMMEMORATIVE
FAUSTA	HELENA	CRISPUS	DELMATIUS
HANNIBALLIANUS	CONSTANTINE II	CONSTANS	CONSTANTIUS II
MAGNENTIUS	POEMENIUS	DECENTIUS	NEPOTIAN
VETRANIO	CONST. GALLUS	JULIAN II	HELENA II
JOVIAN	WANING	VALENTINIAN I	VALENS
GALATES	PROCOPIUS	GRATIAN	VALENTINIAN II
THEODOSIUS I	AEL. FLACILLA	MAGNUS MAX.	FLAVIUS VICTOR
EUGENIUS	WESTERN	HONORIUS	CONSTANTINE III
CONSTANS II	MAXIMUS SPAIN	PRISCUS ATTALUS	JOVINUS
SEBASTIANUS	CONSTANTIUS III	BONIFATIUS	JOHANNES
VALENTINIAN III	GALLA PLACIDIA	LIC. EUDOXIA	HONORIA
PETRONIUS MAX,	AVITUS	MAJORIAN	SEVERUS III
RICIMER	ALYPIA	ANTHEMIUS	EUPHEMIA
OLYBRIUS	GLYCERIUS	GUNDOBAD	JULIUS NEPOS
ROMULUS AUG.	ODOVACAR	EASTERN	ARCADIUS
AELIA EUDOXIA	THEODOSIUS II	EUDOCIA	PULCHERIA
MARCIAN	LEO I	VERINA	PATRICIUS
LEO II	ZENO	ARIADNE	BASILISCUS
MARCUS	ZENONIS	ZENO & LEO	LEONTIUS
ANASTASIUS I

$650.

$450

$5000.

$550

The revolt of Domitius Domitianus in Egypt destabilized a vitally strategic region by interrupting the grain supply to Rome and opening the possibility of Persian (Sasanian) invasion. For almost a year, Domitius Domitianus controlled Alexandria and its mint, striking aurei and folles, as well as a series of pre-reform imperial Greek denominations.

$4500.

The infant child Theodora holds on the reverse of this coin could be one of her 6 children by Constantius I, either Flavius Dalmatius ( - c. 337) (father of the Delmatius listed separately below), Julius Constantius (b. after 289 - d. 337) father of Julian II, Hannibalianus ( - c before 337)(not the King of the same name listed separately below), Anastasia, Flavia Julia Constantia (after 293 - c. 330) wife of Licinius, or Eutropia (-d 350) the mother of Nepotian. However if her birth date above is correct then since this coin is thought to have been struck after Theodora's death in 337 when she must have been aged around 62, but before April 340 the most likely candidate for the child on this coin is uncertain since if the dating is correct she would have been much too old to have had a recent infant. On the other hand her numismatic portraits do not depict as an old woman. So the child on this coin is currently uncertain, possibly a grandchild or possibly a generic depiction of her maternal nature.

$450

$450

$350.

J. van Heesch has provided the latest chronology for these anonymous civic bronzes of the fourth century AD. An active campaign of persecution against local Christians, abetted by Maximinus II, reached its height in Nicomedia, Antioch, and Alexandria. Churches were closed and property was seized from Christians who were expelled from many cities. These three major mint cities struck a series of small bronzes honoring the old Greco-Roman gods - Jupiter, Apollo, Tyche, and Serapis being among them. The persecutions subsided in AD 313, possibly as a result of concerns expressed by Constantine and Licinius, the emperors in the west. Commentary courtesy CNG.

$1000.

L. Domitius Alexander led a short-lived revolt against Maxentius from 308 to 311, holding Africa and Sardinia. There is little known about this usurper, but there is evidence in an inscription (CIL VIII, 22183) that he and Constantine allied themselves in opposition to Maxentius. P. Salama in "Recherches numismatiques sur l'usurpateur africain L. Domitius Alexander," Proceedings of the International Numismatic Congress 1973, p. 365, note 2, suggests that at the latest, the pact was entered into by autumn of 310.

$4500.

After Licinius was defeated by Constantine in AD 316 at the battle of Cibalae (in present-day Croatia) Licinius elevated Valens, one of his generals who had been responsible for the Dacian frontier, to the position of Augustus. This enraged Constantine with the result that after he established a peace treaty with Licinius, in which three of their sons became Caesar, Valens was not only deposed but executed on the orders of Licinius. Valens' coinage, which was not very abundant to begin with (it is only known from the mints of Cyzicus and Alexandria), was recalled and melted down after his deposition, thus explaining its great rarity today. Commentary courtesy CNG.

$17,500.

Martinian was the unfortunate who Licinius made his co-emperor in a moment of desperation following his defeat by Constantine at Adrianople on July 3, 324, under virtually identical circumstances to eight years before when Licinius had done the same disservice to Valerius Valens, who was executed after Licinius sued for peace. Martinianus was formerly the magister officorum (head of the civil service) to emperor. It is fortunate that coins were struck in Martinian's name, for their inscriptions provide him the title of Augustus - a contradiction to most of the literary sources, which only describe him as having held the subordinate rank of Caesar. The war quickly evolved on a disastrous path with Licinius no better prepared the second time to meet Constantine, who this time was determined to make his victory complete. The armies were enormous: the combined land forces exceeded 250,000 men and the seas were crowded with some 500 ships. From the first engagement Licinius was on the retreat, falling back to the Bosphorus and instructing Martinian to raise reinforcements and to prevent Constantine from crossing into Asia Minor. Unfortunately for Martinian and Licinius, Crispus, the eldest son of Constantine, won a spectacular naval battle and took command of the Sea of Marmara, thus allowing a flotilla to deliver Constantinian troops onto Asian soil. Eventually Licinius took refuge in Nicomedia with a fraction of his original army. His surrender was arranged by Constantia, who was trapped in the middle as the wife of Licinius, the mother of Licinius II, and the half-sister of Constantine. Though the lives of Licinius and his son were initially spared, Martinian was executed not long after he had been sent in exile to Cappadocia.

$2500.

This medallion in which Constantine looks up to heaven commemorates Constantine's famous vision of a Christian Chi Rho cross symbol in the sky before the battle against his stronger rival Maxentius at the Milvian bridge. Putting the Chi Rho symbol on his banners he was victorious over Maxentius and as a result converted to Christianity and made it the official religion of Rome thus ending centuries of repression of the Christians. This single event in turn resulted in Christianity spreading throughout Europe and becoming one of the major driving forces of European history up till the present.

There have been various explanations of Constantine's vision. One of the most convincing is a sizable meteorite known to have smashed into an Italian valley in the Sirente plain not far away at about the time of the battle. It is speculated that the trail from the meteorite would have been easily visible over the battleground and might have formed contortions resembling a Chi Rho cross as it broke up. Certainly it would have been taken as a miraculous sign from heaven by Constantine and his army.

Note: Though it is well known this coin depicts Constantine looking towards heaven it is invariably pictured oriented with him looking straight ahead. The proper orientation should be something like this.

SOLD.

Flavius Delmatius (or Dalmatius) was son of another Flavius Delmatius, censor, and nephew of Constantine I. Delmatius and his brother Hannibalianus were educated at Tolosa (Toulouse) by rhetor Exuperius. On 19 September 335, he was raised to the rank of Caesar, with the control of Thracia, Achaea and Macedonia. Dalmatius died in late summer 337, killed by his own soldiers. It is possible that his death was related to the purge that hit the imperial family at the death of Constantine, and organized by Constantius II with the aim of removing any possible claimant to the throne.

Hanniballianus, the nephew of Constantine, was given the title of King of Armenia, Pontus, and Cappadocia rather that the normal office of Caesar. He was murdered in the power struggle that ensued after the death of Constantine in 337.

This coin published in 'The Skull and The Cross', by Pastor Tom Hughes MA. Published by Remnant Publications, 2013.

Several numismatists have tried to associate this coin, combining an obverse of Constantius II and a reverse type of the usurpers Magnentius and Decentius, with a tantalizingly obscure passage from the fourth-century historian, Ammianus Marcellinus. There, the historian, relating the clean-up of Magnentius'' revolt, mentions the killing of a Poemenius who revolted against the usurpers in Trier and handed the city over to the legitimate emperor, Constantius II. While J.P.C. Kent (NC 1959, pp. 105-108) asserted these coins, as well as a contemporary gold issue, were struck by Poemenius in anticipation of the emperor''s retaking of the city, P. Bastien (QT 1983), revisited the question. Re-analyzing the gold issue, he concluded that the bronze coins were issued only after Constantius had retaken the city, and not before. More recently, W. C. Holt (AJN 15 [2004]), while arguing with slight modifications, nevertheless agrees in general with Kent's hypothesis. Although this coin is clearly associated with the events of the revolt in Trier, any more certain conclusion at this point remains based on how one wishes to interpret the scant evidence.

One unanswered question remains: for what reason was a reverse type so closely associated with the usurpers used in combination with a legitimate obverse of Constantius? The political use of Christian symbolism became much more visible during the latter stages of Magnentius' revolt. His use of the Chi-Rho reflects a similar one of Vetranio: the emperor (either Vetranio himself, or Constantius II) holding a labarum, and the legend IN HOC SIGNO VICTOR ERIS, a statement associated with the vision of Constantine I on the night before has battle with his rival, Maxentius. In the present case, it is quite possible that the forces of Constantius II in Trier briefly co-opted the symbology of the usurpers, adding the legend of the legitimate emperor to parallel the ultimate victory of Constantius II with that of his father. Certainly an interesting issue for further research. Source: CNG.

Beginning in AD 350, the western portion of the Roman Empire underwent a period of rebellion and usurpation. Magnentius, a member of the Roman bureaucracy, taking advantage of the troubles of Constantius II with Persia, revolted and murdered Constans, the western emperor. Unable to go west and subdue Magnentius, Constantius II apparently allowed for two ÒlegalÓ usurpations to occur: that of Nepotian in Rome, and Vetranio in Siscia. After only 28 days of rule, however, Nepotian was captured and executed by troops loyal to Magnentius. The failure of both Nepotian and Vetranio to stop Magnentius prompted Constantius II to appoint his cousin Gallus as Caesar. While Gallus held down the east, Constantius II could then head west to put down the rebellion of Magnentius and restore order. Commentary courtesy of CNG.

$4500.

Julian was the last emperor who attempted to restore the old pagan gods of Rome after the emperor Constantine had adopted Christianity as the state religion. Reviled by later Christian writers he is often referred to as Julian the Apostate. The current coin is the largest and finest of Julian's issues and the bull on the reverse most probably depicts the Apis Bull, a lost Egyptian religious image which was rediscovered during Julian's reign. References: David Van Meter, Handbook of Roman Imperial Coins, #25, Laurion Press, 1991.

$1250

$550.

The fortune of Rome shifted incalculably downward on New Years Eve, 406, when the Rhine froze and several barbarian nations, including Vandals, Alans and Suebi crossed into Roman territory. It could not have happened at a more critical moment, for Honorius was fully occupied with the Visigothic king Alaric (who, in 410, would sack Rome). What followed in 407 and beyond was a mass devastation of the Western provinces: Germany and Gaul bore the brunt of the invasion, and Picts invaded Britain. Initially, Spain was spared these horrors due to its southerly position, but in 409 Vandals and other barbarians forced their way through the pass of the Pyrenees and laid waste to that land too. There was no government in Spain to speak of, and Honorius could not help; this left only the ephemeral presence of Constans II and his British prefect Gerontius. They had arrived in 408 to oppose the pro-Honorius militias that had been raised from the estates of Honorius relatives. Thus, even under these dire circumstances, Romans with competing loyalties still found reasons to clash with each other. Constans II and Gerontius overcame the local militias but failed to bring northern Spain into their Ôempire for long. Vandals and Germans soon poured from Gaul and into Spain. It is difficult to know whether Gerontius betrayed Constans II by coming to a secret arrangement with the invaders, but before matters got too far out of hand Constans II returned to Gaul. Meanwhile, Gerontius and the people of Spain were left to their own fate. As Salvianus of Marsielle reports in his De gubernatione Dei (52): "The Spaniards now began to burn in the same flames in which the Gauls had burned." Spain was looted by the invaders and a famine caused many who took refuge in walled cities to resort to cannibalism. The blame fell upon Gerontius, who then made a pact with the invading Vandals in which he hailed Maximus the emperor of Spain; he may have been Gerontius son, but more likely he was his senior household officer (domesticus). Nothing of substance is known of his reign except that it lasted until 411, by which time Honorius was in a position to recover the western provinces. In short order the rebels Constantine III and Constans II were killed and Gerontius was forced to commit suicide when his troops defected to Honorius general Constantius III. Maximus had apparently been in Gaul with Gerontius just before his suicide. The two-year reign of Maximus ended when he returned to Spain in 411 to seek asylum with his barbarian allies. He likely survived until about 418, but if he is the same Maximus tryannus who rebelled in Spain in about 420, we would have to extend his lifespan to 422, for that rebel was executed in the year of Honorius tricennalia. Commentary courtesy of NAC.

Bonifatius was a Roman general and comes Africae, a friend of St. Augustine and the rival of Flavius Aetius. Beginning in AD 413, he was sent to deal with the two main Germanic tribes ravaging Rome's western provinces Ð the Visigothic king Ataulf at Massilia in AD 413, and the Vandals in Spain in AD 422. Because of these successes, Bonifatius appears to have been appointed comes Africae shortly thereafter. Upon the death of Honorius in AD 423, Joannes, the primicerius notariorum, seized power in the west. While the remaining provinces acknowledged Joannes as emperor, Bonifatius refused to do so, and prevented African grain shipments from reaching Rome. When Joannes was overthrown and Valentinian III, the son of Honorius's sister Galla Placidia, was installed as Roman emperor in the west by Theodosius II, Bonifatius supported him, resuming the grain supply. Aetius's political intrigues against Bonafatius, however, produced disastrous results, not only for Bonafatius, but also for the empire.

Under the influence of Aetius, Galla Placidia became suspicious of Bonifatius's intentions, going so far as to accuse the comes of treason. Refusing to surrender and face execution, Bonifatius sought the assistance of the Vandal king, Genseric, and offered him the right to settle in Africa in return for providing mercenaries for a possible war with the empress. Genseric agreed and the entire Vandalic people migrated across from Spain to settle in Africa. At the same time, however, Bonifatius had returned to imperial favor. No longer requiring mercenaries, he informed Genseric that the Vandals should return to Spain. Angered by this rejection, the Vandals attacked and pursued Bonafatius to the province's capital, Hippo Regius, in AD 430. There, they conducted a year-long siege of the city, during which time St. Augustine, bishop of the city, perished. Bonifatius, along with a large portion of the citizens were able to flee to Italy, leaving Africa under the rule of the Vandals for the next century.

The arrival of Bonifatius in Italy renewed the political intrigue of Aetius, who saw his rival's restoration to imperial favor and promotion as a sign of his own downfall. Fearing dismissal, Aetius and his Germanic mercenaries marched against Bonifatius, meeting him at the Battle of Rimini in AD 432. Although Bonifatius won the battle, he was mortally wounded and died a few months later.

The attribution of this type to Bonifatius is not certain, but hoard evidence suggests this issue was minted at Carthage, by virtue of its connection to similar issues with legends specifically naming Carthage, and belongs to the early 5th century, almost certainly before the siege of Hippo Regius in AD 430. The obverse legend sequence, moving from DOMINO NOSTRO to DOMINIS NOSTRIS, corresponds to the position of Bonifatius during the usurpation of Joannes and his support of the legitimate Roman emperors: the first legend reflects his loyalty to Theodosius II during the usurpation of Johannes usurped the throne in Rome, while the second demonstates his allegiance to Valentinian III, as well as Theodosius II (see RIC X, pp. 233-4). Commentary courtesy CNG.

$4500.

SOLD.

SOLD.

SOLD.

The reign of Flavius Odovacar as king of Italy is seen as marking the end of the Western Roman empire. A Germanic general he led the revolt that deposed Romulus Augustus the last Western Roman emperor on 4 September AD 476. Though the true ruler he at first represented himself as ruling in the name of Julius Nepos. However in 480 Nepos was murdered and thenceforth Odoacer, with the backing of the Roman Senate, ruled Italy autonomously as the first king of Italy. Extremely rare.

When Leo I named his grandson Leo II as emperor, the boy's grandmother, Aelia Verina, arranged that her son-in-law Zeno was appointed co-emperor with his son. Leo II sickened in the same year thus legitimately installing Zeno as emperor. Leo II (Latin: Flavius Leo Iunior Augustus, Leo II; (b. 467 - d. 17 November 474) was Byzantine Emperor for less than a year in 474. He was the son of Zeno and Ariadne, and maternal grandson of Leo I and Verina. As Leo's closest male relative, he was named successor upon his grandfather's death. After taking his father as colleague, he died of an unknown disease about 10 months into his reign in November, 474. It was widely rumored that he might have been poisoned by his mother Ariadne in order to bring her husband Zeno to the throne. He was indeed succeeded by his father, although his grandmother Verina took advantage of his death to conspire against Zeno.

11611. ZENO AND LEO CAESARS. AD 476-477. AV Solidus (20mm, 4.45 g, 6h). Constantinople mint, 2nd officina. D N ZENO ET L-EO NOV CAES, pearl-diademed, helmeted, and cuirassed bust facing slightly right, holding spear over shoulder and shield / Victory standing left, holding jeweled cross; star in right field; B//CONOB. RIC X 906; Deypeyrot 107/1. EF, flatness on face. Extremely rare. We are aware of only one other example that has appeared on the market in the last 15 years. Provenance: Ex Stack's MIRB Sale (12 January 2009), lot 3043; Bank Leu 36 (7 May 1985), lot 369.

This coin belongs to the most enigmatic series in the entire fifth century AD coinage. Various attempts have been made to establish the true identities of this Zeno and Leo. On the evidence of an altered die, J. P. C. Kent, in his article "Zeno and Leo, the Most Noble Caesars" (NC 1959, pp. 93-98, pl. VIII) has demonstrated that this issue is contemporary with, or immediately followed, the coinage of Basiliscus and Marcus. Accordingly, he suggests that the Caesars Zeno and Leo were younger brothers of Marcus, son of Basiliscus, and were raised to the rank of Caesar when Marcus was created Augustus and co-emperor by his father.

Leontius was a late Roman usurper in the Middle East. He was chosen as an Emperor by the rebels and crowned in Tarsus in 484 AD. His forces occupied a part of the Middle East, and his rebellion lasted for some 4 years. In 488 AD he was captured after a long seige in Isauria and he was executed by the Imperial forces. He issued gold and bronze coinage. The bronze small coppers (AE4's) that are attributed to him have a basic Leo's monogram with an additional bar in the right top corner, forming a letter "T". This bar would change the spelling from "Leonis" to "Leontius". These small bronzes seem to have been issued exclusively in Alexandria in Egypt and remain very rare. No other small bronzes bearing a monogram of Leontius are known, which is quite surprising considering the relative length of his reign. Because of this complete lack of bronzes of Leontius, the rare coins with a monogram of Leo, but with a horizontal bar added to add a "T", are often attributed to him (RIC 694, Walker, 1967). However no coin with this monogram with a completely legible obverse with a definitive emperor's name has been published to confirm this as far as we can tell. Since one would expect Leontius would have issued small bronzes, and this is the only known candidate, and the fact that any monogram of Leo should not include a "T", it is most likely these are the otherwise missing small bronzes issued by Leontius.

SOLD.

10784. ANASTASIUS I. 491-518. AV Solidus (20mm - 4.49 g). Constantinople mint. Struck 491-498. Pearl-diademed, helmeted, and cuirassed bust facing slightly right, holding spear over right shoulder, shield on left arm / Victory standing left, holding long cross, star in right field; I//CONOB. DOC I 3i; SB 3. Near EF. Provenance: Ex Nelson Bunker Hunt Collection (Sotheby's, 19-20 June 1991), lot 1033.