A few weeks ago I attended the local coin show that has one ancients dealer. He’s worth the 1.5 hour round trip though. He always has a new arrivals box that hasn’t been fully attributed yet. They often contain the previous owners tags and a “no haggle” price. Saves him time by selling before researching completely. I’ve found a fondness for Probus over the last year because of all the types and their affordable availability in nice grades. That day I found a Probus that I knew wasn’t common but the grade almost prevented the purchase. It had no tag detail but for a very small amount I grabbed it anyway. Only tonight have I finally researched it completely. Probus 276-282 AE Antoninianus 21mm 3.43g Siscia Mint 277 OBV: IMP C PROBVS P F AVG Radiate, cuirassed bust left. REV:ORIGINI AVG She wolf right, feeding Romulus and Remus. Mintmark: // XXIT RIC 703 variant R3 (unlisted bust type) According to Probuscoins.fr the right facing bust is scarce to R1 and the left facing types are R2 or R3. I don’t typically collect for rarity, and the obverse has pretty worn dies, but I’m glad I didn’t pass on it. Looking at ACsearch I cant find a sale in this bust type so it’s unlikely I would have ever seen one again. Please share your Probus or lucky find coins!
Very nice find! I love searching through boxes of unsorted ancients. I'm focusing on Flavians and Southern Italy but I'll probably always keep these two. Both coins listed on Probuscoins.fr IMP CM AVR PROBVS P AVG Radiate and cuirassed bust of Probus right VIRTVS PROBI AVG - KAΓ in exergue Emperor on horseback trampling enemy, a shield in left hand, spear in right. A shield on the ground under the horse. Bust type B Serdica mint, 280-281 AD 4th emission, 3rd officina 3.92g RIC 880 (C). EF with wonderful smooth dark brown/black glossy patina. Even nicer in hand. Ex-Calgary Coin; Ex-George W. La Borde collection Published on Probuscoins.fr IMP C M AVR PROBVS P AVG Radiate, mantled bust left holding eagle tipped scepter SOL INVICTO Sol in spread Quadriga holding whip KAΓ in ex Serdica 277 AD RIC 864 Bust type H 3.84g Scarce Published on Probuscoins.fr
I also have a Probus that surprised me. Got it in an auction and was misattribuated. I had problems researching it because I was not able to find an exact match.Finally Probuscoins informed me that my coin is only the second known example ! Not too bad for 10$ ! IMP C PROBVS P AVG PRO-VIDEND-EOR Serdica 2ndemission 22 mm. 3.6 g 6 h
Here's a couple of left-facing Probus portraits: Probus, AD 276-282. Roman billon antoninianus, 3.78 g, 20.1 mm, 11 h. Rome, AD 277-280. Obv: IMP PROBVS P F AVG, radiate bust right in consular robe, eagle tipped scepter in right hand. Rev: ROMAE AETER, temple, statue of Roma seated facing inside; in exergue, R * A. Refs: RIC 183; Cohen 533; RCV 12027 var. Probus, AD 276-282. Roman billon Antoninianus, 3.25 g, 21.7 mm. Ticinium mint, AD 280-82. Obv: VIRTVS PROBI AVG, Radiate, helmeted, cuirassed bust, left, holding spear and shield. Rev: SALVS AVG, Salus standing right, feeding serpent held in arms. V in left field; * in right field, TXXI in exergue. Refs: RIC-500; Cohen 584.
That's a cool coin show find @Johnnie Black ! I have to make about the same drive to go to some of the small coins shows in my area, but I don't have an ancients dealer unfortunately. Here's is one of my favorite lefty Probus coins.
I have 2 coins of Probus. Here is my favourite. It is the only one known so far and is from the collection of P Gysen. PROBUS, 276-282. Münzstätte Cyzicus. Ein 2. Exemplar, jedoch CLEMENTIA TEMP/Q/XXI. 3,82 g. Das einzige, bekannte Exemplar. Schön Erworben im Dezember 2016. From: The Phillipe Gysen Collection Ex: Paul Francis Jacquier Auction #45 September 14, 2018
What a marvellous coin! I love the interesting reverse legend. Here's a range of Probus (Ticinum, Lugdunum, Rome, Siscia and uncertain eastern mint linked to the revolt of Saturninus): The first lucky find that came to mind is this fourrée of Gallienus: It came in a group lot and nearly went into the junk bowl, but at the prompting of zumbly and with the help of Warren Esty, I came to realize it wasn't a damaged ant., but (as far as anybody here knows) the latest extant 3rd century fourrée, dating to no earlier than 256.
Very nice Probus and puppy, Johnnie! I got extremely lucky on this Alexandrian Probus I got last month... I just stare at it... the facial hair, the laureate, his eye. Also what gets me is the fields on the reverse... they are soooo flat! Probus, Ruled 276-282 AD AE20 Tetradrachm, Alexandria, Egypt Struck Year 4, 278-279 AD Obverse: A K M AVP ΠPOBOC CЄB, Laureate and cuirassed bust right. Reverse: Eirene holding olive branch and sceptre, LΔ to right (RY 4 = 278/279 AD) References: Emmett 3986.4, R1 Size: 20.2mm, 7.9g Ex: The Reverend Willis McGill Collection (McGill was an American missionary stationed in Egypt, who started collecting there during World War I)
I agree, that is a cool fourree. It must have been made about the time that the real coins dipped below the silver content required to make a fourree so why bother? I have not seen one that late but there are several of Trajan Decius.
Thanks, Doug. Warren has a page of late fourrées that I'm sure you already know about, but just in case there's another person interested besides us three, here it is: http://augustuscoins.com/ed/imit/imitTD.html I'm glad so few are interested, because that allowed me to be the only bidder on the recent Triton A.K. collection lot made almost entirely of unofficial 3rd century coins. There were a Decius and two T-bones included. @Valentinian will be interested to see this coin in particular: The obverse is a die match to one of his T-bone fourrées on the above page, while the reverse is a die match to one of his Decius (which he notes is also die-matched to a Prieur coin). I think this speaks to the scarcity of these things. (These die-matched coins look so unofficial I don't see how they could fool anyone, though; they were likely used near to or outside the borders of the Empire.)