Antoninianus - Probus Helmeted, cuirassed, left, spear and shield; VIRTVS AVG; Victory
| Silver | - | - |
| Issuer | Rome › Roman Empire (27 BC - 395 AD) |
|---|---|
| Emperor | Probus (Marcus Aurelius Probus) (276-282) |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Years | 277-278 |
| 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#292785 |
|---|---|
| Rarity index | 100% |
Reverse
Soldier, helmeted, in military attire, standing left, holding Victory in right hand and spear in left hand; to right, shield.
Officina mark (Q), value mark (XX) and mintmark (T) in exergue, sometimes star (✶) in field.
Script: Latin
Lettering: VIRTVS AVG
Unabridged legend: Virtus Augusti.
Translation: Courage of the emperor.
Comment
RIC 437 was minted by the 4th officina (QXXT) of the Ticinum mint (QXXT). The XX stands for 20 parts alloy (instead of the more usual XXI for a copper to silver ratio of 20:1). OCRE mistakenly only lists 1 variation/bust types (the E1 bust). The original RIC text mentions 3 variations/different bust types (bust types according to Pierre Bastiens grouping of bust types; see illustrated: probvs.net), and also multiple variants are known to exist:
- Helmeted, radiate, cuirassed, left, holding spear in right hand and shield in left hand (E1 bust, example: probuscoins.fr #1945, Numista N# 292785);
- Helmeted, radiate, cuirassed, left, holding spear in right hand and shield in left hand, seen from back (E2 bust, example: probuscoins.fr #2122, Numista N# 423945);
- Helmeted, radiate, cuirassed, left, holding spear in right hand, seen from back (non-existent bust, not in Numista);
- [var] Radiate, cuirassed, left, holding spear in right hand (F5 bust, example: probuscoins.fr #2120, Numista N# 423944);
- [var] Radiate, cuirassed, left, holding spear in right hand, shield in left hand (F1 bust, example: probuscoins.fr #3965, not in Numista);
- [var] Radiate, cuirassed, left, holding spear in right hand, shield in left hand, seen from back (F8 bust, example: probuscoins.fr #1633, not in Numista);
- [var] Helmeted, radiate, draped, right, holding spear in right hand (D1 bust, example: probuscoins.fr #3594, not in Numista);
- [var] Radiate, cuirassed, left, holding Victory in right hand (I5 bust, example: probuscoins.fr #4228, not in Numista).
According to Pink, RIC 437 – with its obverse lettering Nr. 4 (‘VIRTVS PROBI AVG’) combined with “VIRTVS AVG” and exergue mark QXXT – is part of 3rd emission (year 277) and 4th emission (278). See: Karl Pink, Der Aufbau der römischen Münzprägung in der Kaiserzeit VI/I, Wien, 1949, p. 49-50. According to Pink, the star (✶) was used during the 3rd emission.
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 military victories and to promote the ideals of virtue and courage. The coin features a portrait of Probus on one side and a depiction of the goddess Victory on the other, symbolizing the triumph of the Roman Empire. The use of silver in the coin's composition was a significant departure from the previous bronze coins, signifying a shift towards a more valuable and prestigious currency. This change in currency composition was a deliberate choice by Probus to promote economic growth and stability, and it had a lasting impact on the Roman Empire's monetary system.
