Probus with interesting shield decoration

I bought this coin below mainly for its interesting shield decoration.

Obv. IMP PROBVS AVG
Rev.: SALVS AVG

The shield shows two rows of soldiers with helmets and shields, who symbolise the Roman army. I think the symbolism is very clear and easy to read even after 1800 years:

"Probus wields the army like a shield that protects the empire"

The coin dates to AD 279, i.e. just after a series of victories, against Goths, Franks, Alamanns, Burgundians and Vandals.






While the coin above with this combination of bust type and reverse is unique, the shield decoration is not. I would like to see other examples.

 

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Dirk, That is a beautiful coin with engraving as fine as what you would expect on a solidus ! After enlarging the image on my monitor I fail to see rows of soldiers on the shield . Are you sure this isn't just ornamentation of some kind, like what is visible on the follis pictured below ? Salus appears to be holding a human figure in her patera, do you know who this is?
Photo courtesy of Lion King Auction #1, lot 198.

 

Hi Al,

The interpretation of the shied decoration as rows of soldiers is accepted in the literature:
https://www.probuscoins.fr/coin?id=1192

It is two rows of soldiers: 6 in the front row with shields and 4 in the back. All soldiers wear helmets. There are other examples, but this coin is among the clearest I think.

Funny that you would post my Maximianus follis
On the Maximianus follis it may just be abstract decoration, or a degenerated army.

 

There's 2 lines of soldiers, very interesting type.

 

No, I have to research that.
There are hundreds of depictions of "Salus seated" on coins in acsearch, but I could not find another depiction where Salus is holding a little human figure in or on the patera. I'm also not sure if it is a human figure. Maybe it is some kind of vessel.

 

I no longer have this coin, so I can't provide many details but, despite its poor condition, the shield appears to be similar. The reverse is a typical ADVENTVS PROBI AVG type:

 

It's a kid petting the serpent

 

The child appears to be feeding the snake. I have not found any comparable depiction.

 

Probus seems to have had the largest wardrobe of all emperors. This certainly includes shields. I have a few fancy ones but the one that eludes me that I would like is the VOTIS X ET XX:
https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=2666182



A subject for another post would be variations in his consular attire and headgear.

 

Wow!! great coin. The shield is fantastic, showing the emperor on horseback among his troops.

 

Me too, it is pricy though:
https://www.numisbids.com/n.php?p=lot&sid=5422&lot=114

 

I offer up the medallion on my avatar, featuring jugate busts of Probus and Sol Invictus, a highly decorated shield and the legend IMP C PROBVS INVIC PF AVG.