| Savoca Numismatik GmbH & Co. KG > Online Auction 187 | Silver | Auction date: 10 December 2023 |
| Lot number: 387 Price realized: 480 EUR (Approx. 518 USD) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | Show similar lots on CoinArchives Find similar lots in upcoming auctions on  |
| Lot description: Leo I AD 457-474. Constantinople Solidus AV 19 mm, 4,04 g D N LEO PERPET AVG, pearl-diademed, helmeted and cuirassed bust facing slightly to right, holding spear and shield decorated with horseman motif / VICTORIA AVGGG S, Victory standing to left, holding long jewelled cross; star in right field, CONOB in exergue. Good Very Fine RIC X 605; Depeyrot 93/1. Leo I, also known as Leon I, ascended to the Byzantine throne from 457 until his death in 474. Born around 401 in Dacia, he climbed the military ranks and became emperor after the death of Markian, orchestrated by the influential Aspar. Leo, unlike his predecessors, demonstrated a proactive approach to the weakening Western Roman Empire. In 467, he dispatched Anthemius to Italy with significant military and financial support, but their campaign to reclaim Africa in 468 ended disastrously, depleting the Eastern Roman treasury. Contrary to expectations, Leo proved a shrewd political player, gradually freeing himself from Aspar's influence. The power struggle climaxed in 471 when Leo's men assassinated Aspar and his son Ardaburius, earning Leo the epithet "Makelles" or "the Butcher." Leo effectively managed conflicts with the Huns and Goths, recognizing Theoderic Strabo as Gothic king. Leo's reign maintained peace with the Sassanids, relieving military pressures. Despite internal challenges, strained relations in the West, and a depleted treasury, Leo's legacy includes evidence of Byzantine overtures to China and the construction of a vanished forum in Constantinople. He was married to Verina. Starting price: 200 EUR |  |
