Probus "ROMAE AETER" questions

I purchased this coin from Bargain Bin Ancients .. excellent price as usual and they give a 10% discount to CoinTalkers..which is very nice.


Probus (193-217 AD) Ae silvered Antoninianus : Rome mint
Obv: IMP PROBVS P F AVG; Radiate bust left wearing imperial mantle and holding eagle-tipped scepter
Rev: ROMAE AETER; Roma seated left within hexastyle temple; R-thunderbolt-Delta in exergue. 20mm, 3.8gms, Ref: RIC V - 183

Researching the coin has brought up a couple of questions that I am sure someone can help me with here:

~The reverse legend "ROMAE AETER" differs from the more popular legend "ROMAE AETERNAE" (Rome Eternal).. is it a short form? "AETER" does not seem to translate well.

~I have read that this coin was minted mid 281 to January 282 AD. Probus was in Rome during this time and I am wondering if this coin was struck to celebrate his Triumph of 281AD?

Any clarification is appreciated.

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I've bought from them in the past but didn't know anything about a discount...

 

Very nice, with good detail.

IMP PROBVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust right, with Medusa on breastplate / ROMAE AETER, hexastyle temple within which statue of Roma holding Victory or Palladium and sceptre, in exergue, R crescent Γ.
Probus AD 276-282. Rome
Antoninianus Æ silvered

23mm., 4,96g.


RIC 185; C. 530; Venèra 1401-1418.

 

Romans abbreviated everything and the five letters on each side balances nicely. A slavish consistency to spellings and endings was the invention of 19th century schoolmasters. The people who use a language on a daily basis do such things and understand the meaning.

 

Which triumph of 281 AD?

It was in 278 AD, that Probus defeated the Alamanni, expelled the Franks from Gaul, reorganized the Roman defenses on the Rhine and resettled the Germanic tribes in the devastated provinces.

Marvin Tameanko's monograph, “Monumental Coins: Buildings & Structures on Ancient Coinage”, (p. 161) notes "The emperor Probus, 276-282 AD, struck an enormous series of Antoniniani showing a hexastyle temple with the legend ROMA AETER. This temple may be a representation of Hadrian's temple to Roma and Venus, with four central columns removed to show the statue of a seated Roma in the center."

The mint at Rome used a system of Greek numeral letters A, B, G, D, E, S, and Z for the officina 1 through 7. For Probus, R in exergue stands for Rome, as set out by Pink by his dating:

Issue 1 Mintmark - //XXIA to //XXIZ or A //XXI to Z // XXI - Dated to 276 AD
Issue 2 Mintmark - //R, //RA to //RZ - Dated to 277 AD
Issue 3 Mintmark - //R star A to //R star Z - Dated to 278 AD
Issue 4 Mintmark - //R crescent A to //R crescent Z - Dated to 279 AD
Issue 5 Mintmark - //R wreath A to //R wreath Z - Dated to 280 AD
Issue 6 Mintmark - //R thunderbolt A to //R thunderbolt Z - Dated to 281 AD
Issue 7 Mintmark - //RAA, //REB, //RQΓ, //RVΔ, //RIε, //RTς, //RIZ - Dated to 282 AD (AEQVITI)

 

The AEQVITI coded series always appealed to me but I never chased down the rest of the set. My page on them:
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/equiti.html

 

The longer form - ROMAE AETERNAE was used in the 2nd emission at Rome

 

I have shared these before but they are relevant here.

This first coin was minted to celebrate the arrival of Probus at Lugdunum who was on his way to do battle in Gaul.

Obv:– IMP C PROBVS • P • F • AVG, Radiate, cuirassed bust right
Rev:– ADVENTVS PROBI AVG, Emperor riding left, right hand raised, left holding sceptre; at foot, captive
Minted in Lugdunum (I in exe) Emission 4 Officina 1. Middle to End A.D. 277 (Bastien dating)
Reference:– Cohen 68. Bastien 184 (10 examples cited). RIC 19 Bust type F

3.59 gms



This second coin is part of an issue to celebrate his triumphal return through Lugdunum after his victories in Gaul

Obv:– VIRTVS PRO-BI AVG, Radiate, helmeted, cuirassed bust left, holding spear and shield, decorated with emperor riding past row of soldiers with shields
Rev:– ADVENTVS PROBI AVG, Emperor riding left, right hand raised, left holding sceptre; at foot, captive
Minted in Lugdunum (IIII) Emission 5 Officina 4. End A.D. 277 to Early A.D. 278
References:– Cohen 69. Bastien 256 (2 examples). RIC 64 Bust Type G (S)

 

I have seen references to Probus' Triumph in 281AD in a few places:

In 281 Probus was in Rome to celebrate his victories. Although the Historia Augusta goes into great detail to describe the events of Probus’s triumph and celebrations of his victories in respect to the number of animals and prisoners involved, there may be some truth to its description because Zosimus states there was a uprising which at this time required a force of soldiers to suppress. On a more substantial note, Probus completed the wall around Rome which had been begun by Aurelian. (https://probvs.net/probvs/)

"281AD: Emperor Probus returns to Rome, where he celebrates his triumph over the Vandals and the usurpers (Bonosus, Julius Saturninus and Proculus). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/281)

After a lavish triumph at Rome near the end of 281, where hundreds of lions, leopards and bears were killed in the Colosseum, Probus set off for the east to campaign against the Persians. (Forvm Ancient Coins: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/historia/coins/r5/r20310.htm)


The Monetary System of the Romans: A description of the Roman coinage from early times to the reform of Anastasius - Ian J. Sellars


My coin is: Issue 6 Mintmark - //R thunderbolt A to //R thunderbolt Z - Dated to 281 AD... so I was wondering if this was struck to celebrate this Triumph. Thanks

 

You just have to type "Cointalk" in the coupon code box during checkout.

 

Same as the OP coin thunderbolt in the exergue , I think mine came out of a swamp

 

PROBUS


RI Probus 276-282 CE Ant 21mm Rome mint captive on ground Riding Horse in ex R-Thunderbolt-Z RIC 155

 

RIC Vb, #158 but with delta, weight: 4 gr., diam.20,79 mm, thickness 2,06 mm

 

I have these two rather poor examples. The first one cost like $0.73 and the second was a whopping $9.99

 

Probus - SOLI INVICTO

Probus - RESTITVT ORBIS

 

I am very worried about that coin. I believe it to be a modern fake made from transfer dies.

Compare the dies....





These were sold in large numbers back in 2009 and regularly since then

 

PROBUS

Captivating


RI Probus 276-282 CE BI Ant 2.80g captives l and r Cohen 768

 

Thats a great coin!

 

OBV.: PROBVS P F AVG
Radiate, and cuirassed bust right.
REV.: VICTORIA AVG
Victory advancing left, holding wreath and trophy.