Probus scored some important victories over the Germanic people north of the Danube and Rhine for which he was awarded the titles of Gothicus Maximus and Germanicus Maximus. I'm not aware of any coins referring to his victories over the Goths, but his victories over Burgundians at the Lech river in modern Germany and against Alamanni and Franks along the Rhine are reflected in his coins. I have three different types: 1. VICTORIA GERM with Victory between captives. This type is quite scarce. 2. VICTORIA GERM with Trophy between captives and R thunderbolt A in exergue 3. VICTORIA GERM with Trophy between captives and R wreath A in exergue I'm curious if other variants exist and if there is perhaps even a VICTORIA GOTHICA out there. I think the Germanic victory series was only struck at Rome.
Probus. 276-282 AD. Æ antoninianus. (22mm). Rome mint. Obv: PROBV-S PF AVG, radiate, cuirassed bust right. Rev: VICTOR-IA GERM. Two captives seated at foot of trophy, R A A in exergue. RIC V Part II 223.
No good Probi, but Victorious coins of Gallienus are cool too: VICTORIAE AVGG IT GERM, with a really unusual obverse legend and a rather fine style portrait. VICT GERM
This is RIC V, 219, rated Rare Mint: Rome Year: 278 I checked a book called "Rom und die Germanen - das Zeugnis der Münzen", by B. Overbeck, which deals with numismatic evidence for Roman victories over the Germanic people. The author shows only two reverse types for Antoniniani with Germanic victory reference, the common RIC 220-223 variants and the above rare RIC 219. Despite his title as Gothicus Maximus, Probus had no coins minted referring to a victory over the Goths. His various victories over Burgundians, Vandals, Alamanns and Franks, occurred on the territory of modern Germany and would have been referenced with VICTORIA GERMANICA. These victories were apparently not very decisive though. His successor Carus immediately had to deal with an attack of Alamanni when he became emperor.
The Victoria Germ reverse was also struck under Probus at Ticinum (these coins are much, much rarer than similar coins from the Rome mint). Here are two examples from the Ticinum mint from my specialized Probus collection: https://www.colleconline.com/en/items/125772/coin-ancient-to-roman-probus-ric-425-var-e1-bust https://www.colleconline.com/en/items/125771/coin-ancient-to-roman-probus-ric-425-var-b-bust You won't find a Victoria Gothica Probus coin out there.
Probus celebrated extensively his victories over the Germans especieally in his famous third emmission at Ticinum discussed in the article below by Sylviane Estiot (one of world's leading scholars on the coinage of Probus): https://www.academia.edu/1368047/Un...pereur_Probus_l_atelier_de_Ticinum_en_277-278
My Rome example Antoninianus minted at Rome, AD 278-280 IMP PROBVS AVG, Radiate and cuirassed bust of Probus right VICTORIA GERM, Two captives under a trophy. R*A at exergue 4.32 gr Ref : RIC #222, RCV #12055, Cohen #768 Q
It is probably worth looking at the VICTORIA GERM legend with some chronological context. The Victory walking right between two captives, holding wreath and trophy type is allocated to Emission 3 by Pink (A.D. 278) The VICTORIA GERM, Trophy between two captives type is issued across multiple emissions Emission 3 - Star - (A.D. 278) Illustrated by @Cucumbor directly above Emission 4 - Crescent - (A.D. 279) Emission 5 - Wreath - (A.D. 280) Emission 6 - Thunderbolt - (A.D. 281) Emission 7 - A (AEQVITI coded series) - (A.D. 282) So is Probus celebrating a new victory every year here or is he repeatedly declaring the same victory? I don't know enough to answer that.
