Anastasius I AV Solidus. Unidentified imperial mint, AD 492-507. D N ANASTASIVS P P AVG, helmeted and cuirassed bust facing slightly to right, cross on helmet, holding spear over shoulder and shield decorated with horseman motif / VICTORIA AVGGG T, Victory standing facing, head to left, holding jewelled cross; star in right field, CONOB in exergue. MIBE 4a var. (unlisted officina); DOC 4b var. (same); Sear 3 var. (same). 4.45g, 21mm, 6h.

Mint State; struck from dies of magnificent style. Apparently unique and unpublished.

This coin published in I. Vecchi, R. Beale and S. Parkin, The Mare Nostrum Hoard (forthcoming);
From the Mare Nostum Hoard (1954).

This is a remarkable solidus and a piece of a puzzle that is only now becoming clear. The officina mark T is previously unknown for Anastasius and the style of the coin is considerable different to the bulk of the contemporary work of the Constantinople mint, with Victory's trailing drapery in particular having a highly unusual double-helical design. However, this extraordinary coin dovetails neatly into the theory of an unidentified imperial mint that also issued coins for Leo I, Basiliscus and Zeno (see lot XXXXXX).