Antoninianus - Probus Cuirassed, left, holding spear; CONSERVA[T] AVG; Sol

Reverse

Sol, radiate, standing front, head left, raising right hand and holding globe in left hand.
Mintmark and officina in exergue.

Script: Latin

Lettering:
CONSERVA AVG or
CONSERVAT AVG

Unabridged legend: Conservatori Augusti.

Translation: Protector of the emperor.

Comment

RIC 349 was minted by the 3rd officina (-/-//TXXT) of the Ticinum mint. The original RIC text mentions 5 different variations/different bust types (bust types according to Pierre Bastiens grouping of bust types; see illustrated: probvs.net), and there are also two variants known:

1. radiate, draped, right (A bust, Numista #292697);
2. radiate, cuirassed, right (B bust, Numista #293457);
3. radiate, wearing imperial mantle, left, holding sceptre surmounted by eagle in right hand (H2 bust, Numista #293458);
4. radiate, cuirassed, left (B1 bust, Numista #293459);
5. radiate, cuirassed, left, holding spear (F5 bust, this coin);
6. [var] radiate, helmeted, draped and cuirassed, right, holding spear in right hand, and shield in left (D7 bust, example: probuscoins.fr #1607);
7. [var] radiate, draped and cuirassed, right, holding spear (F2 bust, example: probuscoins.fr #2271).

According to Pink, RIC 349 (with its obverse legend Nr. 5) is part of the 4th emission, which was in the year 278 (Karl Pink, Der Aufbau der römischen Münzprägung in der Kaiserzeit VI/I, Wien, 1949, p. 41).

Some examples of RIC 349 coins have dots in the obverse legend. Usually as such: IMP C PROBVS • P • F • AVG; but sometimes also as such: IMP • C • PROBVS • P • F • AVG. These dots could also be identified as a variant to the RIC text that does not mention dots.

According to Estiot, the obverse legend ‘IMP C PROBVS P F AVG’ is often punctuated. See Sylviane Estiot, Une campagne germanique de l’empereur Probus: l’atelier de Ticinum en 277-278, Droz 2006, p. 212, p. 232 and p. 241.

Interesting fact