France: Merovingian. Clovis (481-511) gold Solidus 491-507 UNC,...

Description

Merovingian. Clovis (481-511) gold Solidus 491-507 UNC, uncertain mint in Gaul, struck in the name of Anastasius, 4.40g, Unlisted. ?N ANASTA | SIVS PP AVC, diademed, helmeted, and cuirassed facing bust, holding spear over shoulder in right hand, and shield with horseman motif on left arm / VICTORIA | AVCVSTORVN E, CONOB (monogram?) in exergue, winged victory left holding long cross, a star in the left field. Highly lustrous and beautifully struck, this enigmatic piece is initially difficult to categorize, as it is unlisted in any reference to which we have access with the reverse legend as it is written. Stylistically, there are a number of other Solidi attributed to Clovis with remarkably similar obverse dies, particularly with the retrograde "C" at the beginning of the legend. Additionally, the reverse depiction of Victory is not entirely unusual, although the legend is seemingly without precedent until one looks at other denominations issued under Clovis, where we find a number of Tremisses with nearly the exact reverse legend (cf. MEC I-351 for an example). Our assumption is simply that the die cutter had just finished a group of reverse dies for Tremisses and transposed the legends from those onto a Solidus die without paying much attention to his error.
Ex. cgb.fr (April 2008, Lot 1320)
From the F.P. Briand Collection

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