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Ruler: Probus, 276-282 AD
Obverse: IMP PROBVS AVG, helmeted and cuirassed bust to left, holding spear over right shoulder and shield on left
Reverse: SOLI INVICTO COMITI AVG, radiate and draped bust of Sol to right
Mint: Rome, 4th festive series, end of AD 280 - beggining of AD 281
Denomination: Aureus
Weight: 6,37 g
Reference: RIC V.2 138; C. 696; Calicó 4204. Estiot, Les émissions festives de l’atelier de Rome sous le règne de l’empereur Probus (276-282 AD); coin no. 43 (D9 R5)
Provenance: Lipsia Numismatics aution 1 lot 422 = ex Ex Roma Numismatics, E-Sale 113, 28 September 2023, lot 951= ex Ex Dr. Busso Peus Nachfolger; Auction 434, 27 April 2023, lot 689 = Ex Numismatik Lanz München, Auction 163, 7 December 2016, lot 451 = Aus einer vor 1951 abgeschlossenen, deutschen Privatsammlung (note from dr Busso Peus).
Note: Very rare. In her article Les émissions festives de l’atelier de Rome sous le règne de l’empereur Probus (276-282 AD); prof. Sylviane Estiot notes 7 different obverse dies and 8 different reverse dies of this aureus. In total, prof. Estiot notes 25 specimens of this aureus, including all the specimens in public museums as well as in private collections and on auctions (However, prof. Estiot omits to cite a specimen present in the National Museum in Cracow, Poland; so 26 specimens of this aureus are known in total). My specimen is the only example with this exact combination of dies (D9 R5) known to prof. Estiot.
My aureus is only the 7th example of this type to have appeared on the market. The other specimens are:
https://www.coinarchives.com/a/openlink.php?l=2293989|5580|2868|ab33a26ea9cea2cad28d101b533bf17d Künker Auction 39, 14 November 2023, Lot 2868 (hammer 24,000 EUR) = Exemplar der Sammlung Maître Robert Schuman (1953-2022) = Exemplar der Sammlung Hyman Montagu, Auktion Rollin & Feuardent, Paris 20.-28. April 1896, Nr. 702; der Auktion Sotheby's, Zürich 28. November 1986, Nr. 120 und der Auktion NAC 7, Zürich 1994, Nr. 795
https://www.coinarchives.com/a/openlink.php?l=2285383|5555|1481|98b46ea39a863fc1bc20f12b4c94491e Nomos Auction 30, 6 November 2023, Lot 1481 (hammer 30,000 CHF) = ex Numismatica Ars Classica 135, 21 November 2022, 365, the Arthur Bally-Herzog Collection, Münzen und Medaillen 93, 16 December 2003, 258 (obverse enlarged in color plate D), acquired from Leo Hamburger on 14 September 1910 for 625,- DM, and from the Collections of Consul E. F. Weber, J. Hirsch XXIV, 10 May 1909, 2414 and Vicomte de Ponton d'Amécourt, Rollin & Feuardent 25-30 April 1887, 575 .
https://www.coinarchives.com/a/openlink.php?l=1639598|3482|980|ef651515c5bd58e2d43fd9c8b548ddee Classical Numismatic Group Auction 114, 13 May 2020
Lot number: 980, hammer: 17,000 USD; = ex From the Provence Collection. Ex Münzen & Medaillen AG XIX (5 June 1959), lot 249; J. Hirsch XXXIII (17 November 1913), lot 1448; J. Hirsch XXIX (9 November 1910), lot 1285; M. H. Montagu Collection (Rollin & Feuardent, Paris, 20 April 1896, lot 701; Vicomte E de Quelen Collection (Rollin & Feuardent, Paris, 14 May 1888), lot 1847.
https://www.coinarchives.com/a/openlink.php?l=1690943|3791|1077|650c160155439d64b11ceabf4c181350 Roma Numismatics Ltd, E-Sale 74, 20 August 2020
Lot number: 1077 = ex Ex Nomos AG, obolos 12, 31 March 2019, lot 803 = Ex Numismatik Naumann, Auction 69, 2 September 2018, lot 432.
https://www.coinarchives.com/a/openlink.php?l=960891|1865|2157|1aea5b6cb7b4210e53ea118b21b27949 Gerhard Hirsch Nachfolger Auction 326, 16 February 2017, Lot number: 2157, hammer: 12,000 EUR
https://www.coinarchives.com/a/openlink.php?l=100568|108|109|c16fcce846042d65044d795b4b7a16e3 Leu Numismatik AG (1992-2005) Auction 93, 10 May 2005
Lot number: 109, hammer: 29,000 CHF = ex From the collections of V.M. Brand, Hess-Leu 41, 24 April 1969, 509, and Consul E. Weber, Hirsch XXIV, 9 November 1910, appendix lot 3631
Roman emperors had long flirted with comparing themselves to the sun, going back at least to Nero, who infamously erected a colossal statue of himself in the guise of Sol. The use of radiate crowns on imperial coins in the first and second centuries served not only to indicate double denominations, but also to subtly compare the emperor to Sol, the greatest of the heavenly lights. This association became even more explicit under the Severan dynasty, when the busts of empresses began to be depicted on coins set on a crescent. The moon was the obvious consort for the sun.
As the third century progressed, the subtler intimations of solar godhead gave way to an official imperial cult of Sol Invictus-the Unconquered Sun-thought to have been fueled by Roman exposure to Syrian sun cults during the reigns of Elagabalus (218-222) and Aurelian (270-275). During his conquest of Palmyra, the latter is said to have carried off the local cult statue of Shams (a Semitic solar deity) which he erected in a new temple of Sol Invictus in Rome in 274.
The depiction of Sol, and his characterization as a companion of Probus on this impressive aureus not only casts the latter as a legitimate successor of Aurelian, but continues to build on the foundation of Aurelian's solar cult. Thanks to the popularity of Probus' memory with later emperors, including those of the First and Second Tetrarchy, the cult of Sol Invictus continued to grow and the god continued to be an important subject for Roman coin types down to the reign of Constantine I. The latter was a great devotee of Sol Invictus before he determined that Christianity was a more useful religion for his purposes. Nevertheless, the cult of Sol Invictus still remained influential well into the fifth century, when St. Augustine found it necessary to preach against its adherents.
Probus' predecessor, Aurelian, paid close attention to coinage, and at great risk and expense succeeded in reforming his empire's ailing coinage by increasing purities, weights, and by re-introducing old denominations. Though Probus did not attempt any such reform of the core denominations, he more or less abandoned Aurelian's re-introduced denominations. Probus' coinage reform did not involve purity or weight, but rather design and tenor: Probus introduced the militant bust on a scale that never before had been seen on Roman coinage. Prior to his reign, it was unusual to see an armoured bust with spear and shield and especially to see the emperor wearing a helmet. Here we have the terrifying bust of an emperor ever-prepared to defend on behalf of his empire. The helmet is elaborately decorated and crowned with a laurel wreath; the spear is on his shoulder, and the shield is decorated with a horseman motif. Probus' intention, no doubt, was to demonstrate the strength of his regime and to show the possessor of this beautiful aureus that Rome's future was secured by the strength of his command.
According to prof. Estiot the “military/solar” context of the 4th festive series leads us to date it to the events in the East and to the repression of Saturninus' usurpation in Syria, which can be dated to the turn of the century 280-281 AD: Probus, having reconquered Syria from the usurper and taken over the Antioch mint, had a series of gold coins struck there, some of which celebrated his 4th consulship, which he celebrated on the spot in January 281. The abundant series of aurei (catal. 43, 25 ex. cited), which prof. Estiot suspects were intended to reward loyalist members of the general staff as much as to win over military who might have been inclined towards Saturninus. On the reverse, the effigy of Sol radiate: his companionship with Probus, visually staged on the large medallions by their joint portraits, is on the gold commented by the legend in the dative, Soli Invicto Comiti Aug. Seven obverse dies and eight reverse dies were used for the gold series, with one of the reverse dies known only to us from a test on base metal that matches it to a radiated aurelianus (catal. 44): it would appear that the celator tested a defective gold die (the engraver had forgotten the initial I of Invicto) before discarding it from the mint.
Collection : 18b Roman Aurei