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Æ Nummus - Leo I Constantinopolis
| Issuer | Eastern Roman Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 457-474 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Draped and cuirassed bust of Emperor Leo I facing right, adorned with a pearl diadem; a cross is positioned above the bust. The legend D N LEO P AVG runs around the periphery in Latin characters, identifying the emperor by his imperial title. The portrait exhibits the stylized late antique convention typical of fifth-century Eastern Roman coinage, with schematic rendering of the drapery and cuirass. The flan is notably small and irregular, consistent with the debased nummus denomination of this period. |
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| Reverse description | A lion stands to the left with its head turned back to the right, depicted within a wreath border; a star appears in the upper field above the animal. The mint mark CON is inscribed in the exergue or field, denoting the Constantinople mint. The lion type on this rare nummus variety is an allusive device, likely referencing the emperor's name (Leo, meaning lion in Latin and Greek). The overall execution is bold yet schematic, characteristic of the small-module bronze coinage struck at Constantinople during the reign of Leo I. |
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| Additional information |
Leo I came to power in 457 as the first emperor elevated by a German commander — the Alan generalissimo Aspar, who expected his puppet to remain compliant. He did not. By the late 460s Leo was systematically dismantling Aspar's influence, culminating in Aspar's murder in 471. These tiny nummi, struck throughout that tension-filled reign, were the lowest denomination in active circulation, handling the small transactions of a Constantinople economy increasingly strained by the failed 468 expedition against the Vandals in North Africa — the most expensive military operation in late Roman history.