This antoninian of Ticinum sold in late July for 705EUR: Silvered Antoninianus/Aurelianus, AE24mm 3.86g OBV: VIRTVS PR - OBI - AVG; Radiate, helmeted, cuirassed bust left, holding pointed spear and shield, pseudo-Corinthian helmet, lorica musculata with pectoral aegis, pteryges on right shoulder, shield with sinuous & riveted rim; decorated with a floret. REV.: VIRTVS INVICTI - AVG; Emperor galloping right, spearing two fallen enemies, shields underneath; wreath bearing Victoria to right. Mintmark: VIXXT, no exergual line. Unrecorded for the mintmark in neither RIC nor Alfoldi, not sure if in Vemania-Isny or in the Gysen collection.
Great find. Is it yours ? Apart from the shield decoration, I think it might be that one : https://www.probuscoins.fr/coin?id=4526 Q
Great coins. Both have shield types that would make them desirable on their own but combined with a great reverse they are fantastic.
I have a love/hate relationship with the coins of Probus. There are many interesting reverses and even more fancy obverses. That man had more suits of clothes than the next ten emperors combined! Unfortunately, high grade coins are often a bit ugly due to patchy silver remaining. Coins retaining 100% of their silver are unusual and those with 50% can be really hard to photograph. Ticinum is certainly the mint of choice IMHO but there are several others that come close in my way of seeing things. A collector can have a hundred different coins of Probus and still not have anything rare or even with an ordinary 'bust right' obverse.
I agree with Doug about Probus. For someone who reigned for only 6 years, he has a mind-boggling number of obverse and reverse types--so many that I can't figure out how anyone can tell whether a particular reverse is rare or not. Perhaps that's why coins of his with unusual obverse inscriptions, like the OP, generate so much interest--it's something that makes them stand out. I once found a beat-up coin from Serdica with the obverse inscription IMP DEO ET DOMINO PROBO AVG in an uncleaned lot. I needed to subject it to electrolysis before I could tell what it was. This was around -20 years ago; I was just starting out as a collector, but even then I knew it was unusual. I listed it on eBay with a $.99 opening bid, hoping it would bring at least $10-15. It ended up selling for over $150.
Thats it. Apparently its not in Vemania-Isny either. I was following the auction but at 700+ EUR its more than I would have went anyway. This series is rare to very rare (this variation for example is very rare). Here are two others from the same series, but a different emission and my entry about them from September 2018: It's a very rare example of the sixth emission at Ticinum dated late 279, from a rather rare series presenting the emperor on horseback riding over enemy captive, no exergual line, mintmark and denomination being usually shown underneath the prancing horse. A rather dynamic design. This sixth emission has no other markings but the officina and RIC does not list this type for neither emission, officina or bust type. A singular example is shown on Probvs.net Ticinum RIC 446 with a few others being recovered from the Vemania-Isny hoard (Vemania-Isny II 81-84), which I cannot add as I do not have the reference. A rare coin by all intents and purposes from a rare series. Probvs.net coin: Coin from P. Gysen Collection: I'm not sure if double die-match or reverse die match -- the Vemania-Isny coins are reported to be all of them from the same dies.
Here is one from Serdica, Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. RESTITVT.ORBIS Figure of Orbis Terratum presenting globe to Probus. RICV #851.
Oh wow, cool reverse on the OP coin! I don't think I knew about that one. Here is a much more pedestrian Probus from Ticinum. PROBUS (276-282). Antoninianus. Ticinum. Obv: IMP C PROBVS P F AVG. Radiate and cuirassed bust right. Rev: FIDES MILIT / VIXXT. Fides standing left, holding standard in each hand. RIC 365. 24 mm, 3.4 g
700 EUR ?? I really don’t understand this « rarity » thing. I bought this Probus a few years ago, had problem with the attribution and finally found it is rated R2, supposedly only the second specimen known. It’s on probuscoin now and I paid....12 US $.... https://www.probuscoins.fr/coin?id=4730
