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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Pellinore, post: 3234931, member: 74834&quot;]Every year, with three numismatic friends we take the car for a lengthy ride to a small old town (with a large sugar factory, and a perennial traffic infarct) in the north of Belgium, it is called Tienen (or Tirlemont in French). In a large and sombre sports hall every November 11 a large coin fair is held. There are about 100-150 sellers - collectors with duplicates and coin sellers from Belgium, France, Britain, Netherlands, Hungary and (that&#039;s it I think). They all seemed to be having a few beers for <i>breakfast</i>. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie90" alt=":spitoutdummy:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>One of the nice things of Belgian coin fairs is the large number of Celtic coins you can find. In the past I had a lot of luck with that, but now I tried to be careful with money. In the end I bought a tiny Artabanus II chalkous, and four Roman coins. </p><p>I was most happy with these two antoniniani of the emperor Probus (they cost about 80 dollars together). Interesting coinage with a lot of variation, but I never did do much about him. These are my third and fourth <i>Probi</i>. According to the seller, these were part of a hoard of Probus antoniani found near Lyons in France. The seller had about 40 of them, all in the same dark silver-grey hue, very attractive. I sought out these two because of their very different portrait style, and one has an equestrian portrait, that I find very attractive. Picturing them is rather difficult, I didn&#039;t get the photos right with my iphone. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In fact all the details are clear, they are EF in reality. But here are the pics. </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]845540[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Probus 276-282, Antoninianus, Rome mint, 279. Obv. Radiate and cuirassed bust right, tiny Medusa medal on breast. IMP PROB/ VS P F AVG. Rev. Probus on horseback left, holding sceptre, right hand raised; captive under the horse’s right leg. ADVEN/ TVS AVG. Exergue: R(thunderbolt)Z (= 7). EF, traces of silvering. 21 mm, 3.87 gr. Apparently from a large hoard from Lyons. RIC V 155. Probus site head type F. </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]845541[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Probus 276-282, Antoninianus, Lyons mint, 279. Obv. Radiate and cuirassed bust right. IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG. Rev. Laetitia standing slightly to the left, holding wreath and sceptre. LAETITIA AVGVSTI. In exergue: IIII. EF, traces of silvering. 21 mm, 4.08 gr. Apparently from a large hoard from Lyons. RIC V-2 31.</p><p><br /></p><p>What does that mean, by the way, <i>Laetitia Augusti</i>: the mirth, the gaiety of the emperor? Probably there was something religious involved. Can&#039;t have been the smile on the face of the emperor Probus that was the subject of this coin&#039;s reverse.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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