Antoninianus - Probus Cuirassed, left; MARTI PACIFERO; Mars
280 year| Silver | - | - |
| Issuer | Rome › Roman Empire (27 BC - 395 AD) |
|---|---|
| Emperor | Probus (Marcus Aurelius Probus) (276-282) |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Year | 280 |
| Value | Antoninianus (1) |
| Currency | Antoninianus, Reform of Caracalla (AD 215 – 301) |
| Composition | Silver |
| Shape | Round (irregular) |
| Technique | Hammered |
| Orientation | Variable alignment ↺ |
| Demonetized | Yes |
| Updated | 2024-10-05 |
| Numista | N#293726 |
|---|---|
| Rarity index | 100% |
Reverse
Mars, helmeted, standing left, holding olive-branch in right hand and spear and shield in left hand.
Mintmark of the 7the officina (VII) in lower field. XXI in exergue.
Script: Latin
Lettering: MARTI PACIFERO
Translation: To Mars, the peacemaker.
Comment
About RIC 699
RIC 699 was minted by the 7th officina (-/VII//XXI) of the Siscia mint. The original RIC text mentions 3 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:
- radiate, draped, right (A bust (*)) (Numista #293055);
- radiate, cuirassed, left (B1 bust) (this coin; Alföldi 038.006 (**); example: probuscoins.fr #5032);
- radiate, cuirassed, left, with spear and shield (F bust; could also be F8 bust) (not in Numista);
- [var] radiate, draped and cuirassed, right (A2 bust) - missing "C M AVR" (Numista #393172);
- [var] radiate, cuirassed, right (B1 bust) - missing "C M AVR" (example: probuscoins.fr #1528);
(*) RIC seems to mistakenly not list the A2 bust (Probus, draped and cuirassed, right) but the A bust (Probus, draped, right). See for example RIC 651 where the A2 and A bust are separately listed. There are no published examples of the A bust. There is one published image of an example with the A2 bust: probuscoins.fr #4227 and also Alföldi only lists the A2 bust (#038.005 in (**) Andreas Alföldi, Vorarbeiten zu einem Corpus der in Siscia geprägten römischen Kaisermünzen. Heft V. Verzeichnis der Antoniniane des Kaisers Probus, Budapest, 1939).
According to Pink, RIC 699 is part of the 7th emission, which was in the year 280 (Karl Pink, Der Aufbau der römischen Münzprägung in der Kaiserzeit VI/I, Wien, 1949, p. 41).
Interesting fact
The Antoninianus - Probus coin was part of a series of coins issued during the reign of Emperor Probus (276-282 AD) to celebrate the Roman military victories and to promote the cult of the Roman gods. The coin features Mars, the Roman god of war, on the reverse, which symbolizes the military prowess of the Roman Empire. Additionally, the coin's obverse features a portrait of Probus wearing a cuirass, which was a type of armor worn by Roman soldiers, highlighting his role as a military leader. This coin is a rare and valuable example of Roman numismatics and is highly sought after by collectors and historians.
