Probus AE Antoninianus - Trophy and Captives

Obv:– IMP PROBVS P F AVG, Radiate, cuirassed bust right
Rev:– VICTORIA GERM, Trophy between two captives
Minted in Rome (R Thunderbolt A in exe) Emission 6 Officina 1. A.D. 281
Reference(s) – RIC 220 Bust type F

 

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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;

Coins with the officina mark in the left field are very much the exception with >99% of coins with the officina mark in the field being in the right field

 

Obv:– IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG, Radiate bust left in imperial mantle, holding sceptre surmounted by eagle.
Rev:– CONCORD MIL, Emperor and Concordia clasping hands
Minted in Ticinum (* / PXXT) Emission 3, Officina 1. A.D. 277
Reference:– RIC 325 Bust Type H var (Unlisted with * in centre field, issues with the star are at least Scarce).

In discussions with Dr. S. Estiot. this coin if the first knownand provides essential die matches to allow dating of this enigmatic sub-series.

 

Obv:– IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG, Radiate, helmeted, cuirassed bust left holding spear and buckler
Rev:– CLEMENTIA TEMP, Emperor standing right, holding eagle tipped sceptre, receiving globe from Jupiter, holding staff, standing left.
Minted in Serdica (* in centre field, KA•Γ• in exe) Emission 2, Officina 3. A.D. 276 A.D.
Reference:– Unlisted in RIC but would appear between RIC 838 and RIC 839

 

Obv:– IMP C M AVR PROBVS P F AVG, Radiate, bust left in imperial mantle, holding scepter surmounted by eagle
Rev:– SOLI INVICTO, Sol in a spread quadriga facing, radiate, cloak billowing out behind, raising right hand, holding whip in left (Sol always facing front for this emission)
Minted in Cyzicus (None) Emission 2. end of A.D. 276 to begining of A.D. 277
Reference:– RIC 911 Bust type H

Attributed to Cyzicus based on style due to lack of mint marks.

 

Obv:– IMP C M AVR PROBVS P F AVG, Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev:– CLEMENTIA TEMP, Emperor standing right, holding sceptre surmounted by an eagle, receiving globe from Jupiter, standing left, holding sceptre
Mint – Antioch (Stigma in centre field, KA in exe) Emission 1 Officina 6. A.D. 276
Reference:– RIC 920 Bust type C
Fully silvered with lots of detail

 

Obv:– IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG, Radiate and cuirassed bust right
Rev:– CLEMENTIA TEMP, Emperor standing right, receiving globe from Jupiter standing left, holding sceptre
Minted in Tripolis (Crescent in centre field, KA in exe) First Emission from A.D. 276
Reference: – RIC 928 Bust Type C
A clear example of this distinctive bust type with lots of silvering remaining.

 

Probus, Billon tetradrachm, Alexandria, Year 5, Bust of Serapis
Obv:– A K M AVR PROBOC CEB, Laureate draped bust right
Rev:– None, Bust of Serapis right
Minted in Alexandria Egypt. L - E | _ Year 5. A.D. 279-280
Reference:– Milne 4605. Curtis X-1889, Emmett 3993(5) R4. BMC -. Dattari 5544

 

@ Maridvnvm - Absolutely correct! Thank-you for drawing that to my attention.
See, it was worthwhile going to that effort, to put them up. Are there any problems with any of the others, I wonder? I have only been doing this for less than a year and I am finding out that 'enthusiasm' is no substitute for 'knowledge'.
Oh, and I do like yours more than mine. You have a deal more 'silvering' left than there is on mine, and (perhaps) because of that the detail is clearer, too.

 

TC. I am happy to go through your coins and check their attributions if you would find it useful.
Regards,
Martin

 

Note several of Martin's examples show the Greek translation KA for Latin XXI. Both mean the same alloy ratio of 20 parts copper added to one part silver.

There is a lot to like in Probus and we have not seen the expensive ones yet.
http://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=1237161
http://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=287812

 

@ Maridvnvm - I'd be more than happy if you would.

 

Here's another interesting Probus that sold in an auction last week for about $5500 before fees:
http://www.sixbid.com/browse.html?auction=2009&category=41047&lot=1743908

I had never seen that one before, and another antoninianus in the same auction that used aureii dies went for $5000.

This is the one that I don't get though... it had a EUR 25 estimate and closed for EUR 1050:
http://www.sixbid.com/browse.html?auction=2009&category=41047&lot=1743880

 

Wowza!

@maridvnvm, care to speculate why these two elicited such a war?

To save the effort of clicking, here are the two coins in question:


Probus, 276-282.
Antoninianus. Siscia. 3.66 g. IMP C M AVR PROBVS P F AVG. Radiate, helmeted, and cuirassed bust left, holding spear and shield // SISCIA PROBI AVG. Siscia seated slightly left on throne, holding diadem with both hands; to lower left and right, seated figures of the rivergods Savus and Colapis; on exergue XXIT. RIC 764 (R). Rare piece with prestigious pedigree. Extremely fine
Provenance: Auction Sternberg 15, Zurich 1985, lot n°623; Auction Numismatic Fine Arts, Los Angeles 1988, lot n°439; The Gilbert Steinberg Collection, auction N.A.C. & Spink Taisei, Zurich 1994, lot n°729.
Opening bid 250 EUR; realized 5000 EUR.


Probus, 276-282.
Antoninianus. Ticinum. 4.11 g. LAETITIA AVG N. RIC 316 (R). Rare. Extremely fine
Opening bid 25 EUR; realized 1050 EUR.

 

The LAETITIA AVG N is from the first issue at Ticinum, which are all generally scarce to rare. I have owned a few from the issue

PRINCIPI IVVENTVT, Probus standing left holding globe and spear, //PTI
PROVIDEN AVG, Providentia standing left, holding globe and sceptr, //STI

but have never seen a Laetitia on the market. The Probvs.net website doesn't illustrate any examples, neither does wildwinds. The more common variants sell for $200+ so I am not surprised by the Laetitia price tag. The 25 Eur estimate was laughable.

The SISCIA PROBI AVG is a rare and highly sought after type. I would expect a Eur 1,000 price tag. The condition is nice but evidently two people really wanted it at any cost.

Martin

 

Topcat,

All Probus coins are RIC V part ii not RIC VII

Your RIC 665 C has XXIT in exe. and is Alföldi Table XI, Type 23 # 111
Your RIC 713 var is RIC 731; Alföldi type 57 # 88
Your RIC 624 var is RIC 624; Alföldi type 5, # 96
Your RIC 204 v has obverse legend ending P F AVG and as such is RIC 204.
Your RIC 818 looks more like a V in middle than a T

Regards,
Martin

 

Martin and Topcat, I love the variety both of you posted!!!

And, I'm still surprised that coins of Probus realize such high values, regardless of scarcity.

 

@ Martin, Thanks. I really do appreciate the help. I thought that I was getting through my 'attributions' too easily. The points that you make (while some are quite small) are very important and I thank you for them. I have gone through them all again, and I have made the 'alterations' as you suggested.

@ Mikey Zee - Thanks.