Probus - FIDES VICTOR

I must admit that I never thought that I would see one of these in person let alone track one down.

Emission 6, Officina 3 of Probus from Lugdunum produced coins with two reverse types:-

FIDES MILITVM, Fides standing left holding two standards
and
MARS VICTOR, Mars walking right, holding spear and trophy

One reverse die slipped through quality control which mixed the two legends with a Fides type.

FIDES VICTOR, Fides standing left, holding two ensigns

These seem to be scarce with Bastien listing the following examples:-

Bastien 289 - which has Obverse legend IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG and bust type "Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right (seen from the rear)" (2 examples in BM)
and
Bastien 290 - which has Obverse legend IMP C PROBVS P F AVG and bust type "Radiate, cuirassed bust right" (2 examples, one in BM one in Lyons)

In Bastien Suppl. II another exampkle from the same reverse die is listed

Bastien 290 Alpha - which has Obverse legend IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG and bust type "Radiate, helmeted, cuirassed bust left, holding spear and shield" from a single example citing the Curtis Clay collection

I have added another example

Obv:–IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG, Radiate, cuirassed bust right
Rev:– FIDES VICTOR, Fides standing left, holding two ensigns
Minted in Lugdunum (//III) Emission 6, Officina 3. A.D. 278 - 279
Which I cannot find listed in Bastien

4.48 gms, 22.92 mm. 0 degrees

 

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Very interesting pick-up and apparently quite rare!

 

Congrats on a neat coin

 

I have been discussing my coin with Dr. S. Estiot and have some more information that I thought worthy of sharing.

In addition to the coins listed above Dr. Estiot is aware of another 2 examples of Bastien 290, one from the same reverse die and another in Vienna with a second reverse die.

My coin comes from a 3rd reverse die and is currently given the temporary id of Bast. (future) Suppl. III, 289alpha

This brings the total number of FIDES VICTOR examples known by Dr. Estiot to 8.

There is some additional interesting information that comes out of this die analysis. Dr. Estiot notes that the reverse dies are shared across the current emission breaks, which has led her to the conclusion that the current 5th emission was made in parallel to the current 4th and 6th Emissions with reverse dies linking from the 5th Emission into both.