Antoninianus - Probus cuirassed, left; PAX AVG; Pax
| Silver | 3.31 g | 23.63 mm |
| Issuer | Rome › Roman Empire (27 BC - 395 AD) |
|---|---|
| Emperor | Probus (Marcus Aurelius Probus) (276-282) |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Years | 278-280 |
| Value | Antoninianus (1) |
| Currency | Antoninianus, Reform of Caracalla (AD 215 – 301) |
| Composition | Silver |
| Weight | 3.31 g |
| Diameter | 23.63 mm |
| Shape | Round (irregular) |
| Technique | Hammered |
| Orientation | Variable alignment ↺ |
| Demonetized | Yes |
| Updated | 2024-10-05 |
| Numista | N#293736 |
|---|---|
| Rarity index | 94% |
Reverse
Pax, draped, standing left, holding olive-branch in right hand and sceptre in left hand.
In exergue XXI followed by officina mark or in exergue XXI and officina mark in right field.
Script: Latin
Lettering: PAX AVG
Unabridged legend: Pax Augusti.
Translation: Peace of the emperor (Augustus).
Comment
RIC 706 was minted by the 1st to 6th officina of the Siscia mint. The original RIC text mentions multiple different variations/different bust types, listed below (bust types according to Pierre Bastiens grouping of bust types; see illustrated: probvs.net). The sixth variation (the F5 bust) could also be considered as a variant because RIC only mentions with spear and shield, not with only a spear. Alföldi lists five of the six variants (Andreas Alföldi, Vorarbeiten zu einem Corpus der in Siscia geprägten römischen Kaisermünzen. Heft V. Verzeichnis der Antoniniane des Kaisers Probus, Budapest, 1939):
- radiate, draped, right (bust A, Alföldi 041.016, probuscoins.fr #3623, Numista #293062);
- radiate, cuirassed, right (bust B, Alföldi 041.017-034, probuscoins.fr #1754, Numista #293734);
- helmeted, radiate, cuirassed, left, holding spear in right hand and shield in left hand (bust E1, Alföldi -, probuscoins.fr -, Numista #293735);
- radiate, cuirassed, left (bust B1, Alföldi 041.035-047, probuscoins.fr #1753, this coin);
- radiate, cuirassed, left, with spear and shield (bust F1, Alföldi 041.052-054, probuscoins.fr -, Numista #406938).
- [var] radiate, cuirassed, left, with spear (bust F5, Alföldi 041.048-047, probuscoins.fr #3764, not in Numista).
Alföldi also mentions the existence of an A2 bust variant: radiate, draped and cuirassed, right (Alföldi 041.014-015).
According to Pink, RIC 706 was part of the 4th emission (year 278, mint-/exergue mark style: -/-//XXIP) and 7th emission (year 280, mint-/exergue mark style: -/P//XXI) (Karl Pink, Der Aufbau der römischen Münzprägung in der Kaiserzeit VI/I, Wien, 1949, p. 41).
Interesting fact
The Antoninianus coin , which features Probus (278-280 AD) on the obverse and Pax on the reverse, is notable for its rare and unique design. It's one of the few coins from the Roman Empire that depicts a Roman emperor wearing a cuirass, which was a type of armor made from leather or metal that was typically worn by soldiers. This design choice was likely meant to emphasize Probus' military prowess and his role as a powerful and protective leader.
