Savoca Numismatik GmbH & Co. KG > Herakles Auction 2 | Auction date: 3 March 2025 |
Lot number: 125 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction - Bid on this lot ![]() | |
Lot description: Roman Imperial Julius Nepos AD 474-475. Mediolanum Solidus AV 20 mm, 4,33 g D N IVL NEPOS P F AVG, helmeted, pearl-diademed and cuirassed bust facing, holding spear and shield decorated with horseman and fallen enemy motif / VICTORIA AVGGG✱, Victory standing facing, head to left, holding long jewelled cross; M-D across fields, COMOB in exergue. Very Fine Depeyrot 38/1; RIC 3218. Julius Nepos, who reigned from AD 474 to 475, is often regarded as one of the last emperors of the Western Roman Empire. He was born around AD 430, likely in Dalmatia (modern-day Croatia), and he held a unique position during the turbulent final years of the Western Empire. His title and legitimacy were backed by the Eastern Roman Emperor, Leo I, who appointed Nepos as *Augustus* (emperor) in the West to replace the ineffective Glycerius, who had not been recognized by the Eastern court. As an emperor, Nepos attempted to restore stability to the crumbling Western Empire, but he faced immense challenges. Barbarian incursions had destabilized much of Italy, Gaul, and Hispania, and internal divisions weakened his position further. Nepos's rule was especially unstable because many of the empire's regions were controlled by powerful generals, such as Orestes, who ultimately turned against him. In 475, just a year into his reign, Nepos was overthrown in a coup by Orestes, who installed his own son, Romulus Augustulus, as a puppet emperor. Nepos fled to Dalmatia, where he continued to claim the title of emperor and maintained a measure of local authority, albeit without control over Italy. The Eastern Roman Empire continued to recognize Nepos as the legitimate Western emperor, though he wielded little real power beyond Dalmatia. Julius Nepos remained in Dalmatia until his death in AD 480, likely assassinated by political rivals. His death is often considered the definitive end of the Western Roman Empire, as by this time, Romulus Augustulus had already been deposed by the Germanic chieftain Odoacer in 476, marking the symbolic end of Roman rule in the West. While Romulus Augustulus is often remembered as the last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, Julius Nepos's claim to the title persisted until his death, making him a significant, if somewhat forgotten, figure in the empire's final days. Starting price: 5000 EUR | ![]() |