Faustus Albinus Basilius Junior, praefectus urbi, circa 530/40-546. Tessera Monumentorum (Bronze, 11x15 mm, 4.11 g, 6 h), with his father, Faustus Albinus. SALVIS DD / NN ◦ ALBI/NVS FECIT in three lines inscribed on raised silver band. Rev. BA•SITI/VS (sic!) REPA/RAVIT in three lines inscribed on raised silver band. K. L. Elvers: Zwei neue sog. tesserae monumentorum im Archäologischen Museum der Westfälischen Wilhelms-Universität Münster und in westfälischem Privatbesitz: Mit einem Katalog der bekannten Exemplare, in: Boreas 34 (2011), 18a var. = M. Kulikowski: Urban Prefects in Bronze, in: JNLA 10.1 (2017), C2 var. (shorter reverse legend and with BASITIVS instead of BASILIVS). An apparently unique variety. Good very fine.


This remarkably well-preserved piece also belongs to Faustus Albinus Basilius Junior (see Lot 513 above), the last Roman consul, who held office in 541. It differs from the preceding example in the abbreviated legend on the reverse, which omits the introductory formula SALVIS DD NN ('under the well-preserved Lords'), and in the misspelling of the name as Basitius rather than Basilius. In this respect, it recalls the orthographic errors found on Lots 511-512 above.

It is somewhat surprising that tesserae of such careful craftsmanship should exhibit these kinds of errors. However, similar misspellings occasionally appear on coins from this transitional period - an era that also witnessed shifts in numismatic style.