Ancients: PROBUS

I do have a better Lugdunum Bust Type G than in my OP. This is my favourite Probus.

Obv:– VIRTVS PRO-BI AVG, Radiate, helmeted, cuirassed bust left, holding spear and shield, decorated with emperor riding past row of soldiers with shields
Rev:– ADVENTVS PROBI AVG, Emperor riding left, right hand raised, left holding sceptre; at foot, captive
Minted in Lugdunum (IIII) Emission 5 Officina 4. End A.D. 277 to Early A.D. 278
References:– Cohen 69. Bastien 256 (2 examples cited). RIC 64 Bust Type G (S)
Appears to be an obverse die match to the plate example in Bastien

 

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I see. Why not post your 10 favorites ???

 

I'm not sure this would be in my top 10 but it would be in the top 50 and I had just updated the photo so what the hey. Another half decent example from another large flan.

Obv:– IMP C M AVR PROBVS P F AVG, Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from the front
Rev:– ROMAE AETERNAE, Roma seated in temple, holding Victory and sceptre
Minted in Rome (RΓ in exe) Emission 2. A.D. 277
Reference:– RIC 190 var. Bust type C (Not listed with this bust type or officina in RIC)
Weight 3.62 gms
Size 24.59mm

 

Great coins

 

I would have to include this one. It is a rare bust type with a gorgon on the cuirass combined with my favourite reverse type. The reverse isn't great but I love the coin anyway.

Obv:- IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG, Radiate, cuirassed bust right holding spear
Rev:- MARS VICTOR, Mars advancing right with spear and trophy
Minted in Lugdunum (II) Emission 5 Officina 2. End A.D. 277 to Early A.D. 278
References:- RIC 83. Bastien 218 (5 examples cited)

 

Here's another scarcer bust type from Lugdunum

Obv:– IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG, Radiate bust left wearing imperial mantle, holding Victory on globe in right hand
Rev:– VIRTVS AVG, Soldier standing left, holding Victory and spear, left hand on shield.
Minted in Lugdunum (//IIII) Emission 5 Officina 4. End A.D. 277 to start A.D. 278 (Bastien)
Reference(s) – Cohen 821. Bastien 258 (7 examples cited). RIC 111 var (Not listed with this bust type in RIC).

 

I learned more about the coins of Probus from buying this coin than I had up to that point. I started to learn about the different styles of the different mints and being able to identify a coin based on style alone rather than relying on RIC, legends etc.. The fact that this coin doesn't have any mint marks forced me down that route. I had several years of fun triggered by this one coin.

Obv:– IMP C M AVR PROBVS P F AVG, Radiate bust left in imperial mantle, holding sceptre surmounted by eagle
Rev:– SOLI INVICTO, Sol in spread quadriga
Minted in Siscia (No marks). Emission 2. A.D. 277.
Reference:– RIC 776 var Bust type H (not listed in RIC without field marks). Alföldi type 73, n° 30

 

Nice coins Martin. Very nice.

 

This one takes me back to the days when you could buy a coin like this (this coin in fact) for $30 shipped to the UK from a US VCoins dealer. The price of coins like this from dealers might give an indication of what ebay prices were like. Combine this with a very favourable exchange rate that meant I was buying dozens of Probus coins a week.

Obv:– IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG, Radiate bust left in imperial mantle, holding sceptre surmounted by eagle
Rev:– SOLI INVICTO, Sol in a spread quadriga facing, radiate, cloak billowing out behind, raising right hand, holding whip in left
Minted in Serdica (KAB in exe)
Reference:– RIC 862 Bust type H
A lovely example with a good strike and fully silvered.

 

=> sweet Martinism

 

I am not a Probus specialist but that didn't keep me from having a few dozen of them. I have a few pages on them which show some of my favorites:
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/equiti.html
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/probus.html
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/feac19.html


Most of mine came from the late 1990's when they were cheaper, I believe, due to some large groups that hit the market back then.

 

wow, nice coin!!

 

One reason I never went full on into Probus was the realization that he had so many rare types and ones that always sold at prices way out of my league. Even without getting into the gold he has a number of special coins that would be hard to find as sleepers in junk boxes. Perhaps the splashy example is the obverse with horse head:
http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=563655

Without doing any research on the question, I wonder if a complete set of Probus including all the obverse and reverse variations from all the mints would add up to more coins than any other emperor. I know he does not have the highest count of RIC numbers but volume V lumped so many very different coins under one number that a count is difficult.