Identify the ruler

[Henning J]

Hello!
I have an interesting roman gold coin that I would like to know more about. Which Roman ruler? And why is the coin repaired in this unusual but very fine way? And is it rare? The weight is 4,57g.
Regards Henning.

[shanxi]

Legend S-CVS P P AVG indicates Basiliscus

https://ikmk.uni-freiburg.de/object?lang=de&id=ID8787&view=rs

[SC]

Some ancient coins were holed.  This was done for a variety of reasons - often to make a piece of jewelry such as a pendant.

Occasionally a coin with a hole was repaired.  Holes in bronze coins were usually plugged with lead, but in precious metal coins it was usually done with the same metal as the coin was made of.

It is unclear why such coins were repaired - perhaps in an attempt to put them back into circulation.  Some are done in a way that tries to hide the repair - your's clearly does not.

SC

[Henning J]

Thank you everyone for the explainations!

Regards Henning

[Henning J]

Here is a closeup picture where they have fixed the hole. There is a pattern, so they did spent some time to the coin.  I know it is lower the value on the coin, but  i think it is a more interesting coin whit this repair, and it unique.
Regards henning.

[Jay GT4]

That's very interesting.

[SC]

I am not sure how much of the paterning is intentional.

It appears to me that instead of being filled with molten gold, or a slid gold plug, the hole was filled with gold foil folded tightly to form a plug.

The design might not be one of artistic intention as much as of the origami-like folds required to make a tight fitting foil plug.

It looks like it consists of at least two pieces.  Maybe it was too large for a single foil plus.  First an outer donut-like ring which was tamped to tightly fill the perimeter and then the central plug.

SC

[Ron C2]

If I had to guess, it was plugged in antiquity to get the weight up to a normal solidus range so it could be spent.  But that's only a guess.  I think it was a function repair, not an aesthetics improvement attempt.

[Virgil H]

As an aside, that looks like a very big hole for use as jewelry. Would there be another reason for putting a hole this size it it?

Virgil

[Ron C2]

As an aside, that looks like a very big hole for use as jewelry. Would there be another reason for putting a hole this size it it?

Virgil

Tough to say - lots of things happened when civilization fell into neglect in the western half of the empire after the 470's.  What seems like no big deal in the east, would have been seen as wondrous artistry by many living in the dark ages of what is now western europe.