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OBVERSE: IMP C M AVR PROBVS P AVG
REVERSE: SOLI INVICTO
BUST TYPE: H2
FIELD / EXERGUE MARKS: -/-//-
WEIGHT 3.44g / AXIS: 6h / WIDTH 22-23mm
RIC 864 VAR.
COLLECTION NO. 733
Extremely rare variant with no mintmarks. Probus Adventvs Probi Avg and Soli Invicto issues without mintmarks are very rare and desirable. They were struck in Cyzicus, Serdica, Siscia, Rome and Lugdunum mints and were distributed as part of the imperial donativa during the Emperor's Adventvs (visit) to these cities. Regular Adventvs Probi Avg and Soli Invicto issues with mintmarks in exergue were usually struck long after Probus had left the city. Attribution of these interesting Donativa coins to a particular mint - due to lack of any mintmarks - is done on the basis of careful analysis of their style, especially the style of the emperor's portrait and the lettering as well as die links with later emmissions which have mintmarks typical for particular mints. These coins are often misattributed becauase RIC V.2 only cites Adentvs Probi Avg reverse with no mintmarks under no. 904 (Cyzicus mint) and Soli Invicto reverse with no mintmarks under no. 101 (Lugdunum mint).
Sol was the favorite and most frequently depicted God of the Roman pantheon in Probus' coinage. There are numerous variants of reverses with Sol; however the depiction of Sol in quadriga (left or central/spread) remains undoubtedly an iconic, classis reverse for Probus . This reverse type was struck in Lugdunum, Rome, Ticinum, Siscia, Serdica and Kyzikos mints, with each mint having its unique style.
Provenance: ex Mike R. Vosper collection
Collection : 06 Probus - Serdica