Anastasius I. 491-518. AV Solidus (21.5mm, 4.41 g, 6h). Constantinople mint, 4th officina. Struck 507-518. D N ANASTA SIVS PP AVG, helmeted and cuirassed bust facing slightly right, holding spear over right shoulder in right hand and shield decorated with horseman motif on left shoulder / VICTORI A AVGGG, Victory, draped, standing left, holding long jeweled cross in right hand; star to right; Δ//CONOB. DOC 7d var. (loop of staurogram missing); MIBE 7 var. (same); SB 5 var. (same). Toned, some luster, a few marks, trace deposits. Near EF.
A very curious example with the loop of the ‘rho’ of the staurogram presumably omitted erroneously. The long cross type solidi (SB 3) of Anastasius I have the star in the right field, whereas the following Christogram (SB 4) and Staurogram (SB 5) types have the star in the left field. It is perhaps more likely that the die engraver of this particular coin omitted the loop of the rho for the staurogram rather than engraving the star in the wrong field. As such, this example has been cataloged here as an SB 5 variety.
