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OBVERSE: PERPETVO IMP C PROBO AVG
REVERSE: VIRTVS PROBI AVG (VIR-2)
BUST TYPE: E1 = Radiate, cuirassed and helmeted bust left, holding shield and spear
FIELD / EXERGUE MARKS: -/-//KAΔ
WEIGHT 3.82g / DIAMETER: 24mm
RIC 884 VAR. (KAΔ MINTMARK UNLISTED)
COLLECTION NO. 1223
This coin published at Probus Coins Online (https://probuscoins.fr/); probuscoins.fr 4068 (R3; this coin)
Extremely rare and desirable obverse legend with the PERPETVO title ("perpetual"). Probus was the only roman emperor to use this title in the whole Roman coinage; the only other analogy in Roman coinage would be the Dictator Perpetuo title bestowed upon Julius Ceasar in the year 44 BCE.
Rare variant of one of Probus' iconic reverses, i.e. the VIRTVS PROBI AVG reverse, with the emperor Probus on horse attacking enemy with spear, lying (not knealing) enemy and no exergual line: type "VIR-2" in Philippe Gysen's classification first published in the article "Nouvelles données concernant l’atelier de Serdica sous le règne de Probus", Revue Belge de Numismatique 146 (2000). The much more popular VIR-1 variant of the VIRTVS PROBI AVG reverse has the exergual line and the enemy is knealing rather than lying.
Unpublished and apparently unique.
Provenance: NUMISMATIK NAUMANN auction 64 lot 511, April 2018 (hammer: 425 EUR)
Collection : 06 Probus - Serdica