I have generally held back from adding coins to my Probus hoard other than the coins from Lugdunum that I occasionally find. I was however tempted by a couple of coins recently and this is one of them. Probus Antoninianus Obv:– IMP C M AVR PROBVS P F AVG, Radiate bust left in imperial mantle, holding sceptre surmounted by eagle Rev:– PAX AVG, Pax standing left, olive-branch in right hand, transverse scepter in left Minted in Ticinium (Q | _ / XXI), Emission 7, Officina 4. A.D. 280 Reference(s) – RIC 704 var. (Q right); Alföldi Siscia V, type 41, 79 (citing London); Pink VI/1, p. 53; A nice, well centered example, good strike, very little wear and nearly fully silvered. Coins with the officina mark in the left field from Siscia are very much the exception with >99% of coins with the officina mark in the field being in the right field. Obtaining one isn't necessarily that difficult however if you are willing to settle for an example from this die pair. I suspect that a hoard including several examples from this die pair came on to the market since 2008 and thus there are probably about a dozen or so examples in various online databases if you care to look for them. The following being just one example for comparison:- My reserach into these coins also turned up an obverse die link to an example with the same reverse type but with the officina mark in exe. which we would attribute to the 4th emission fating to A.D. 277, some three years earlier than my example. Regards, Martin
The left-field officina mark and obverse die links are interesting to be sure, but the outstanding feature of that coin is simply that it's gorgeous!
it's a beautiful coin martin! super silvering with little specs of color. click on the pic for an enlarged view of it's sweetness.
Awesome addition, Martin (congrats) ... I hope you're having a great Saturday (it is snowing outside at the moment) I only have "one" Probus example (I must try harder!!)
One of my favorite Probus examples: PROBUS Antoninianus OBVERSE: IMP PROBVS AVG, radiate mantled bust left holding eagle-tipped sceptre REVERSE: SOLI INVICTO, Sol in galloping quadriga left, R-thunderbolt-B in ex. Struck at Rome, 275-6 AD 4.2g, 24mm RIC 202
I never look at Probus coinage on the internet when looking. I have to admit that whenever I go to coin show and I am trolling through flips, Probus tends to catch my eye more than most others. I am looking for the right one.
I agree with all the others Martin---a beautiful, well centered silvered-antoninianus coin that puts almost all of mine to shame....
It also calls into question some of the latest thinking on the chonology on the Siscia coinage. I need to figure out how best to reserach this further or to raise it to the attention of someone who can.
