PROBUS death

I do not see having hundreds of coins of Probus to be obsessive BUT I might have to say that the both of us have a number of interests that we support by hundreds of coins and THAT might be considered just a bit obsessive. You are a great deal more interested in Probus than I am which explains my Probus count is about 10% of yours. We are closer to a match on Septimius Severus (I don't have that number without doing the math) but know there are about 50 from Alexandria which some would say is a bit over the top. I am aware of a couple denarii I don't have so I'm not ready to back off and there is always the matter of our finding a type we did not previously know to exist. Sitting here expecting, not just hoping to find those new ones is part of the fun.

For Ocat - I know I have shown these but I like them. The first is an ordinary coin but the photo shows the silvering situation well.


I have more military busts than consular ones but always liked this one (and it is a coded coin).

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Your entire Probus collection is phenomenal! I must say though, the detail on his robes in the second photo here is unlike any I’ve come across in terms of sheer perfect mint state quality. Been hoping to find one like that at some point to start my own Probus collection! Spectacular acquisition, really the entire coin is just

 

IMPCMAVRPROBVSINVICTAVG, Serdica

VIRTVS PROBI AVG, Serdica

CONCORD MILIT - Ticinum

 

Probus, Serdica [Sofia], Officina 3. RIC V-2 878G( Γ)



Probus, Rome (Officina 6). RIC V-2 157(ς)



Probus, Cyzicus (Officina 4). RIC V-2 911(Q).

 

Probus AE Antoninianus. Rome, 278 AD. RIC 202
IMP PROBVS AVG, radiate bust left, in imperial mantle, holding eagle-tipped sceptre /
SOLI INVICTO, quadriga to left, driven by Sol, holding whip and globe Mintmark R-wreath-B.


Probus AE Antoninianus. Siscia mint, 280 AD. RIC 811very rare variation with two captives
IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right /
VIRTVS PROBI AVG, Mars walking right holding spear and trophy, at his feet two captives. Mintmark XXIT.


Probus, Antoninianus, Antioch mint. RIC V-2 Antioch 922
IMP CM AVR PROBVS PF AVG, radiate, draped bust right /
CLEMENTIA TEMP, Emperor standing right, holding sceptre, receiving Victory on globe from Jupiter standing left, holding sceptre. Epsilon dot in lower centre. Mintmark XXI.


Probus, Antoninianus, Antioch mint. RIC V-2 Antioch 922
IMP CM AVR PROBVS PF AVG, radiate, draped bust right /
CLEMENTIA TEMP, Emperor standing right, holding sceptre, receiving Victory on globe from Jupiter standing left, holding sceptre. H in lower centre. Mintmark XXI.

 

Here's a potentially interesting coin of Probus - this exact coin from Officina VI doesn't seem to be in the Probus Coins database and both the coins from emission 7 that it is close to are rated Scarce.

Probus, AE Radiate, Siscia, AD 276-282, minted 280 AD, emission 7, officina 6, Bastien bust code H2,
Obv: IMP PROBVS P F AVG, radiate and mantled bust left, holding eagle-tipped sceptre.
Rev: SALVS AVG, Salus standing right, feeding serpent held in arms; VI to right, XXI in exergue (Type A)
Ref: RIC 748, Probus Coin 1935 (officina VI instead of V), 4980 (this coin)
Rarity: Scarce, the Salus from officina VI is a match to this coin on the reverse but with a different obverse. Probus Coin 4644

I know that I do not find this coin in ACSearch either... so, I think it may be interesting. However, I did find about a dozen coins like this with officina VII.

And I found this: the same reverse die used with a different obverse:

Being skeptical that I had the die match right - I did an overlay to convince myself: perfect match!

I will need someone more experienced in the coins of Probus to tell me if this difference of officina and use of one reverse die with two different obverses is interesting or not.

 

As a rather novice collector of coins of Probus I have really enjoyed this thread. I had not seen the reverse with trophy and captives before and find it a really pleasing type. My collecting method so far has been to purchase coins of Probus that I find attractive. Here are a few from my collection.

 

For someone who reigned for only 6 years, Probus has an amazing variety of coins. There are all sorts of interesting variations, along with two "secret code" (A)EQVITI series. Most of his coins are very affordable, and there are many examples to be had in excellent condition. A novice collector could do a lot worse than starting with a Probus collection.

 

I'm a little embarrassed to have to ask this question, but how is the emission number on this, and other coins, determined? There's no such number on the coin itself, certainly. I've often wondered about where that kind of information comes from.

 

I haven't bought any Probus coins in quite a while -- three coins is already more for me than I have for most emperors -- but this thread, and specifically the examples showing Sol in a left quadriga posted by @singig and @Bing, made me want one myself. So I ordered this one yesterday, and I thought I'd post it now instead of being superstitious and waiting for it to arrive:

Probus, 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.



Perhaps one reason this reverse design particularly appeals to me is that it's strongly reminiscent of the reverse designs on so many Roman Republican coins. (Except, of course, that all or most of those show quadrigas facing right. For some reason, left-facing obverses and reverses were remarkably popular under Probus.)

 

My guess is from hoard data. If one hoard has only coins from one emission, another hoard has coins from that plus a second emission, and so on, you can figure it out once you've found enough hoards.

 

Thanks.

 

Here are some types from Lugdunum

ABVNDANTIA AVG

ADVENTVS PROBI AVG

COMES AVG

COMITI PROBI AVG (in this case PORBI(sic)) - (Minerva)

COMITI PROBI AVG - (Hercules)

FELICIT TEMP

 

FIDES MILITVM

FIDES VICTOR

LAETITIA AVGVSTI

MARS VICTOR

MARS VICTOR (with captive at foot)

MARTI PACIFERO

MARTI VICTORI AVG

 

ORIENS AVG (Sol left 2 captives)

ORIENS AVG (Sol right)

PAX AVG

PIAETAS AVG

PIETAS AVG

PROVIDENTIA AVG (baton and sceptre)

PROVIDENTIA AVG (globe and cornucopia)

 

SALVS AVG

SECVRITAS ORBIS

SPES AVG
SPES PROBI AVG

TEMPOR FELICI

TEMPOR FELICIT (this coin probably deserves a thread of it's own but that can wait for another day)

TEMPORVM FELICITAS

 

VIRTVS AVG

VIRTVS AVGVSTI (Mars)

VIRTVS AVGVSTI (Emperor and captive)

 

As far as I am concerned, the best Probus that I will never own is the horsehead obverse.
https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=352082

They do not often sell.

 

I doubt that I will ever obtain the SOLI INVICTO (facing quadriga type) from Lugdunum nor will I obtain the Imperial Mantle with eagle tipped sceptre from Lugdunum. This reverse type and this bust type are common enough from other mints but very scarce from Lugdunum. The only correctly attributed examples I have seen have exceeded Eur 1,000 each and I doubt I will be in a position to obtain either. I have seen many incorrectly attributed examples offered.

 

Here's another coin of Probus that I will likely never own:
Probus_Adventus
Only $2,950!