Leontius held the Byzantine throne for barely three years before he was deposed and mutilated by his own successor, and the gold struck in his name is correspondingly scarce. This solidus comes from the imperial mint at Constantinople, where it was struck between AD 695 and 698 during that brief and violent reign. Leontius had seized power by overthrowing Justinian II, and his fall in 698 ended the issue of these coins for good. Few survive in full Mint State, which puts this piece in select company among Byzantine gold.

The obverse carries a facing consular bust of Leontius, crowned and bearded, wearing the jeweled loros with a finely rendered lattice pattern across the chest. He holds the akakia in one hand while a cross potent stands in the field beside him, and the surrounding legend reads boldly from rim to rim. The reverse shows a cross potent raised on three steps, the standard Byzantine symbol of imperial faith, encircled by the victory legend with CONOB in the exergue. Strike detail is strong on both sides, with sharp relief in the portrait and crisp letters around the margins.

NGC Ancients graded this solidus Mint State with marks of 4/5 for Strike and 4/5 for Surface, and it weighs 4.48 grams on a broad, well-centered flan. The gold keeps bright original color with soft luster across open fields and no trace of circulation wear on the high points of the crown or beard. A Mint State portrait solidus of a three-year emperor is the kind of coin that anchors a Byzantine cabinet, and the combination of sharp devices and clean surfaces gives it genuine eye appeal. For those seeking a high-grade example of Leontius in gold, this coin delivers.

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695-698 AD Byzantine Empire Leontius Gold Solidus NGC Mint State 4x4