An ugly Probus but I am happy with it

Coins of Probus from the 5th emission are generally scarce and sought after. I buy them when I can but they generally go well beyond my means.

I managed to get this somewhat scrappy but I am more than happy to add it to my collection. It is the second example of this bust type that I have managed to get hold of.

Obv:– IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG, Radiate, cuirassed bust right, holding spear over left shoulder
Rev:– TEMPOR FELICI, Felicitas standing right, holding caduceus and cornucopiae
Minted in Lugdunum (//I) Emission 5 Officina 1. End A.D. 277 to Early A.D. 278
Reference(s) – Bastien 208 (4 examples cited). RIC 103



This was my previous example of the bust type.

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)

 

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My example of your coin

 

I have a few of the standard cuirassed type. My coins in the OP also hold a spear in their left hand over their far shoulder.

 

I like it too! Nice rarity maridvnvm
I had an ugly Proby and upgraded to this silvered example, but know that collecting Probus coins will do nothing good for my obsessive compulsive nature of collecting nor my bank account

 

Bronze coin (AE Antoninianus) minted at Serdica during the reign of PROBUS between 276 - 282 A.D. Obv. IMP.C.M.AVR.PROBVS.AVG.: Radiate, draped bust r. Rev. RESTITVT.ORBIS.: Figure of Orbis Terratum, stg. l., presenting wreath to PROBUS on r., holding spear, in ex. KH.H. in field *. RCS #3364. RICV #851 pg.111. DVM #39 pg.261.

 

This is a particularly nice bust type. Here is my exemplar:

 

The Felicitas type from my OP is used across the whole range of Emissions of Probus from Lugdunum.

The reverse type with the legend TEMPORVM FELICITAS was being used by Tacitus in the last emission and as such was re-used in the first emission of Probus. They might even have re-used the dies. According to Bastien the type was then re-used in the 3rd emission. I find the attribution between these two emissions made by Bastien a real challenge. The busts are both "Radiate cuirassed bust right" and they can be identified as coming from the earlier issues (1st to 4th) by their large size head and bust and small amount of cuirass visible at the chest (compare with busts from later issues below). Bastien allocates coins to the 1st issue by the portraits being stylistically more like Tacitus/Florian than Probus. I really struggle to differentiate these and rely on obverse die matches to plate coins for my allocation to the emissions and if in doubt allocate them to the 3rd emission. The 2nd emission seems to have experiemented with officina marks and there are some scarce examples of the type with officina marks A in l. field | * in r. field which hail back to a previous issue of Tacitus.

!st Emission. Double die match to Bastien 151b which has the distinctive "IMP C M AR(sic) PROBVS AVG" errored obverse legend.



3rd Emission. Obverse die match to Bastien 176c which has a very distinctive eye.



The 4th Emission introduces the shortened obverse legend "IMP C PROBVS P F AVG"



and then combines this shortened obverse legend with a shortened reverse legend "TEMPOR FELICI" which is adopted for the next few emissions



Emission 5 is a celebratory issue commemorating the successful return of Probus through the city after a campaign in Gaul. This is where the more elaborate bust types occur.

My OP is part of this 5th emission






From this point on the busts are smaller (narrower) and there is more cuirass visible on the chest.

Emission 6



The type does not form part of emission 7 and in emission 8 the type has been transferred to officina 2 and the reverse legend extended to TEMPOR FELICIT. There is also the appearanve of the even shorter "IMP PROBVS AVG" obverse legend.




Emission 9 changes the officina mark from Roman numerals (I, II etc.) to characters (A, B etc,). This introduces the appearance of the officina mark in the left and right fields




There is a peculiar single reverse die where the officina letter appears in the exe and there is a theory that the mint was experimenting with a new officina placment for the next emission when Probus was killed. There are only about 5 examples known and all come from the same die pair

 

May I just ask if people find the type of post above useful or just noise? If people find them useful then I am happy to do more of this type of post. If they are not of use then I will save them for the website I am working on that may some day see the light of day....

 

I like this bust type. My only similar bust is the popular Gallienus (considered scarce but everybody has it)


My favorite Probus coin is this ROMAE AETER

Especially since I don't have many architectural related coins in my collection.

And to answer the last question, I consider posts like the last one extremely useful for any collector that wants to study numismatics at a more scientific level.

 

..nice coin Jim...that portrait lQQks familiar....

 

Here are my two Probus pieces.



Silvered Antoninianus of Probus, Obverse: IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVR, “Emperor caesar Marcus Aurelius Probus augustus.”)Reverse: CONCORD MILIT (Concordia Militum) “Concord and harmony with the army.” symbol of concord and harmony in this case with the military. mint mark PXXT Image is of the emperor shaking hands with Concordia..


I bought this one because I admired the reverse.



Antoninianus of Probus, Obverse: IMP C M AVR PROBVS P F AVG “Emperor caesar Marcus Aurelius Probus Pius Felix augustus.” Reverse: SOLI INVICTO “Unconquered sun.” The god sol driving four horses with a globe and a whip in hand.

Soli invicto was the official sun got of the later Roman Empire and a patron of the soldiers. The emperor Aurelian made it an official cult along with the traditional Roman cults. Ric 911, Sear 12041

 

Yes, this 5th emission of Lugdunum contains the most wonderful and unusual bust types of the entire Roman numismatics. Here are pieces from my collection:

 

Although I do not specialize in your area, I very much enjoy your posts, and learn a lot by your collecting habits that helps MY collecting habits. Thank you, and I would like you to continue.

 

I like these posts which keep the focus on a specific aspect and/or issue, especially in an area that is close to what I'm interested in.

 

I love this kind of post. Among other things, it helps prove that we're a serious website!

Seriously, though, I've got nothing from the 5th emission and nothing from Lugdunum for Probus. Everything I have is from Serdica, Rome, or Cyzicus, and most of it is from the 4th emission:

Probus, silvered billon Antoninianus, Serdica [Sofia, Bulgaria] Mint, 3rd Officina, 4th emission, 280-281 AD [Gysen]. 277 AD (Sear). Obv. Cuirassed bust left wearing radiate helmet, holding spear and shield, transverse leather strap across chest, IMP C M AVR PROBVS PF AVG / Rev. Probus on horseback, shield in left hand, galloping right, about to slay an enemy with a lance held in right hand; the enemy is on his knees under the horse's front hooves with his hands thrust upwards, his shield on the ground under the horse, VIRTVS PROBI AVG; in exergue, KA•Γ• (Serdica Mint, Officina 3) (KA= XXI =[20/1 copper/silver ratio of alloy]. RIC V-2 Probus 877G( Γ) (p. 113); Cohen 917; Probuscoins.fr 2667 (https://probuscoins.fr/coin?id=2667); Pink [Karl Pink 1949], 277, 4th emission; P. Gysen type: VIR-1 [Philippe Gysen, New data concerning the Serdica workshop during the reign of Probus, in Revue belge de numismatique , CXLVI, Brussels, 2000] (re-dating Serdica Emission 4 at 280-281 AD). 24.31 mm., 3.26 g.



Probus, silvered billion Antoninianus, Serdica [Sofia, Bulgaria] Mint, 1st Officina, 4th emission, 280-281 AD (Gysen), 277 AD (Sear). Obv. Cuirassed bust left wearing radiate helmet, seen from ¾ in front, holding spear over right shoulder with right hand, and shield covering left shoulder with left hand, IMP CM AVR PROBVS AVG / Rev. Probus on horseback pacing left, with right hand raised and holding long scepter with left hand, captive is seated left under raised right hoof of horse, leaning forward to left with his arms bound behind his back, VIRTVS PROBI AVG; in exergue, KA•A• (Serdica Mint, Officina 1) [KA= XXI = 20/1 copper/silver ratio of alloy]. RIC V.2 Probus 887 (p. 114); Cohen 925/926; Probuscoins.fr 2201 (https://probuscoins.fr/coin?id=2201) (BustType E); P. Gysen Type: VIR-adv [adventus scene] [Philippe. Gysen, New data concerning the Serdica workshop during the reign of Probus, in Revue belge de numismatique , CXLVI, Brussels, 2000] (redating Serdica Emission 4 at 280-281 AD); Pink, Emission 4 [Karl Pink, Numismatische Zeitschrift, Der Aufbau der Romischen Munzpragung in der Kaiserzeit, VI / 1 Probus (Wien, 1949)]; cf. Sear RCV III 12075 (ill.) (same except obv. legend has “PF” before AVG; see RIC V-2 886). 23 mm., 4.26 g. Purchased from Kirk Davis, Feb. 2021; ex. York Coins, UK, 2010.



Probus, silvered billon Antoninianus, 278-280 AD, Rome Mint [4th Emission, 2nd Officina]. Obv. Radiate bust left in imperial mantle, holding eagle-tipped scepter, IMP PRO-BVS AVG / Rev. Sol in quadriga leaping left, with right hand raised and holding globe and whip in left hand, SO-L-I INVIC-TO; in exergue, R- ᴗ [crescent]-B [Rome Mint, Officina 2]. RIC V-2 202B, Sear RCV III 12038, Cohen 644, see also https://www.probuscoins.fr/coin?id=11.



Probus, 276-282 AD, silvered billon Antoninianus, Cyzicus Mint 280 AD. Obv. Radiate bust left wearing imperial mantle and holding eagle-tipped sceptre, IMP C M AVR PROBVS P F AVG / Rev. Sol standing facing in spread quadriga, with right hand raised, holding globe and whip in left hand, the horses spread, two on l. and two on r., SOLI INVICTO. CM in lower center above XXI Q in exergue (Officina 4 - Quarto). RIC V-2 Cyzicus 911, Sear RCV III 12041 (ill), Cohen 682, Pink [Karl Pink 1949], p. 44, series 3. 23 mm., 4.1 g.

 

I'm not very knowledgeable of the particulars of coins of this period, but I love reading threads like this and seeing so many examples! That's how we learn. It's more enjoyable than reading only about things you already know. So @maridvnvm keep them coming.
Here are a couple of my Probus coins celebrating his victory over the Germans ( or as I learned here, probably the Goths), and his profectio....

 

Those are great examples, and great post. I don't have a 5th (AFAIK) but
I do have at least one 4th Em. of Lyons. It's actually my favorite Probus, even though it's not an exciting bust type.

It was part of Philippe Gysen's (1964-2014) collection (apparently one of his first, number #5 in his inventory, acq. in 1992 from Berliner Münzauktion 74) and cited in Bastien Suppl. II (196e) (reportedly, I haven't checked). This is the ProbusCoins.fr image (ID 555), I believe the same one used in Oliva & Hiland's (2013) book (p. 79, no 9, which luckily happens to be in the online .pdf preview). Also, I think, a die match to @Roman Collector 's example (from CT Thread 364335, 1 Aug 2020, a very helpful post -- including the replies -- on this type):



Incidentally, does anyone know if/where the Gloucester 1960 hoard was published?

It's hard to pick just one, of course, but I've always thought Probus had the coolest and most interesting Roman Imperial coins. At least in terms of bust types. It helps, of course, that there were thousands of types (2,400 in ERIC II; and reportedly >10 or 11,000 different types in the Alexander Missong collection at Vienna).

I don't have nearly as many as I'd like. Here are a couple favorite obverses (including what I think is my only spear-over-shoulder):

 

Martin, I believe your above post is very interesting and informative. Do share more similar posts with us!

By the way, congrats on your new interesting purchase!

Below is a selection of Lugdunum's 5th emmission Probus coins from my specialized Probus collection. I have already sold some of these coins, including to some of the distinguished users on this forum like @Tejas: