Savoca Numismatik GmbH & Co. KG > Herakles Auction 1Auction date: 14 October 2024
Lot number: 93

Price realized: 9,500 EUR   (Approx. 10,396 USD)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description:


Julius Nepos AD 474-475. Ravenna
Solidus AV

20 mm, 4,47 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; R-V across fields, COMOB in exergue.

nearly extremely fine

RIC X 3212; Depeyrot 41/1; DOC 939.

Julius Nepos was one of the last emperors of the Western Roman Empire, ruling from AD 474 to 475, and his brief reign marked the final chapter of the Western Empire's decline. Appointed as emperor by the Eastern Roman Emperor Leo I, Julius Nepos was sent to the West to restore order after the turbulent reign of the previous emperor, Glycerius, who had been installed without the consent of the Eastern court.

Nepos' rise to power came during a period of extreme instability in the Western Roman Empire, which was already teetering on collapse due to internal divisions and external pressures from barbarian groups. Upon arriving in Italy, Nepos quickly deposed Glycerius and took the throne in AD 474. However, his reign would be short-lived, lasting less than a year. In AD 475, he was overthrown by his magister militum (commander of the army), Orestes, who placed his own young son, Romulus Augustulus, on the throneFollowing his overthrow, Julius Nepos fled to Dalmatia, where he continued to claim the imperial title and was recognized as the legitimate emperor by the Eastern Roman Empire. Despite his deposition, Nepos maintained a small power base in Dalmatia and was involved in efforts to reclaim his position in Italy. However, these efforts never came to fruition, and he remained in exile until his assassination in AD 480, likely orchestrated by supporters of his rival, Glycerius.
Though his rule was short, Julius Nepos is often considered the penultimate Western Roman Emperor. While Romulus Augustulus, his successor, is more famously regarded as the "last" emperor of the West, many historians view Nepos as the true final ruler, given that he retained recognition from the Eastern court until his death in AD 480. His reign represents one of the last attempts to maintain the authority of the Western Roman Empire in its final years of existence




Starting price: 5000 EUR

Match 1:
Savoca Numismatik GmbH & Co. KG > Herakles Auction 2Auction 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

Match 2:
Savoca Numismatik GmbH & Co. KG > Online Auction 243 | SilverAuction date: 24 November 2024
Lot number: 310

Price realized: 4,600 EUR   (Approx. 4,835 USD)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description:


Julius Nepos AD 474-475. Mediolanum
Solidus AV

23 mm, 4,35 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

RIC 3217.



Starting price: 1500 EUR

Match 3:
Numismatica Ars Classica > Autumn Sale 2024Auction date: 30 September 2024
Lot number: 1091

Price realized: 500 CHF   (Approx. 593 USD / 531 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description:


Theodosius II, 408 – 450
Solidus, Constantinople 430-440, AV 20 mm, 4.45 g. D N THEODO – SIVS P F AVG Helmeted, pearl-diademed and cuirassed bust facing three-quarters r., holding spear and shield with horseman and fallen enemy motif. Rev. VOT XXX – MVLT XXXX Θ Constantinopolis seated on throne l., l. foot on prow, holding globus cruciger and sceptre, a shield by the throne; in r. field, star and, in exergue, CONOB. LRC 379 var. (different officina). RIC 257. MIRB 25b. Depeyrot 81/1.
Edge nick at ten o'clock on reverse and a graffito on obverse,
otherwise good very fine

From the collection of a Mentor.

Estimate: 300 CHF

Match 4:
Numismatica Ars Classica > Autumn Sale 2024Auction date: 30 September 2024
Lot number: 1095

Price realized: 800 CHF   (Approx. 948 USD / 850 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description:


Marcian, 450 – 457
Solidus, Constantinople 450-457, AV 20 mm, 4.49 g. D N MARCIA – NVS P F AVG Helmeted, pearl-diademed and cuirassed bust three-quarters facing, holding spear and shield with horseman and enemy motif. Rev. VICTORI – A AVGGG Victory standing l., supporting long jewelled cross; in r. field, star. In exergue, CONOB. MIRB 5b. LRC 481. RIC 510. Depeyrot 87/1.
Minor marks on obverse, otherwise good very fine

From the collection of a Mentor.

Estimate: 400 CHF

Match 5:
Numismatica Ars Classica > Autumn Sale 2024Auction date: 30 September 2024
Lot number: 1086

Price realized: 750 CHF   (Approx. 889 USD / 797 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description:


Arcadius, 383 – 408
Solidus, Constantinople 402-403, AV 21 mm, 4.46 g. D N ARCADI – VS P F AVG Helmeted, pearl-diademed and cuirassed bust facing three-quarters r., holding spear and shield with horseman and fallen enemy motif. Rev. NOVA SPES REIPVBLICAE B Victory seated r. on cuirass, behind which shield, supporting on her l. knee a shield inscribed XX / XXX; in l. field, * and in exergue, CONOB. RIC 2. LRC 250. Depeyrot 57/1.
Insignificant metal flaw on obverse, otherwise about extremely fine

From the collection of a Mentor.

Estimate: 400 CHF