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Antoninianus - Probus Cuirassed, left, spear and shield; MARTI PACIF; Mars

Antoninianus - Probus (Cuirassed, left, spear and shield; MARTI PACIF; Mars) - obverseAntoninianus - Probus (Cuirassed, left, spear and shield; MARTI PACIF; Mars) - reverse

© PrimeME

Features

Issuer RomeRoman Empire (27 BC - 395 AD)
Emperor Probus (Marcus Aurelius Probus) (276-282)
Type Standard circulation coins
Year 279
Value Antoninianus (1)
Currency Antoninianus, Reform of Caracalla (AD 215 – 301)
Composition Silver
Shape Round (irregular)
Technique Hammered
Orientation Variable alignment ↺
Demonetized Yes
Number
N#
292896
References RIC V.2# 543
Percy H. Webb, Harold Mattingly, Edward Allen Sydenham; 1933. The Roman Imperial Coinage / Volume 5.2. Marcus Aurelius Probus – Maximian (AD 276–310). Spink & Son, London, United Kingdom.
, OCRE# ric.5.pro.543
Online Coins of the Roman Empire (http://numismatics.org/ocre/)

Obverse

Bust of Probus, radiate, cuirassed, left, holding spear in right hand and shield in left hand.

Script: Latin

Lettering: VIRTVS PROBI AVG

Unabridged legend: Virtus Probi Augusti.

Translation: Courage of emperor (Augustus) Probus.

Reverse

Mars, helmeted, in military attire, walking left, holding olive-branch in right hand and spear and shield in left hand.
Value mark (XXI) and officina mark (Δ) in exergue. Sometimes only the officina mark (Δ) in field.

Scripts: Latin, Greek

Lettering: MARTI PACIF

Unabridged legend: Marti Pacifero.

Translation: To Mars, the peacemaker.

Mint

Ticinum, modern-day Pavia, Italy

Comments

RIC 543 was minted by the 4th officina (Δ/-//-; -/-//ΔXXI) of the Ticinum mint. The original RIC text mentions 1 variation/bust type (bust types according to Pierre Bastiens grouping of bust types; see illustrated: probvs.net) and 2 variants are known: 

  1. Radiate, cuirassed, left, with spear and shield (F1 bust (example: probuscoins.fr #4034), Numista #292896);
  2. [var] Helmeted, radiate, cuirassed, left, holding spear in right hand and shield in left hand (E1 bust (example: probuscoins.fr #1211), not in Numista); 
  3. [var] Radiate, heroically nude, left, holding spear in right hand and square shield (aegis) in left hand, from behind (F19 bust (example: probuscoins.fr #4523), not in Numista).

According to Pink, RIC 543 – with its obverse lettering nr. 4 (‘VIRTVS PROBI AVG’) combined with “MARTI PACIF” and exergue-/field mark Δ/-//- or -/-//ΔXXI – is part of the 6th emission, series A (without value mark ‘XXI’) and B (with value mark ‘XXI’), both series being minted in the year 279. See: Karl Pink, Der Aufbau der römischen Münzprägung in der Kaiserzeit VI/I, Wien, 1949, p. 52-53. Pink points out that the Ticinum mint only during the 6th emission temporarily switched to using Greek symbols for its 6 officinas (A, B, Γ, Δ, Є, ς).

See also

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Date VG F VF XF AU UNC
ND (279)  4th officina ("Δ" in field; no value mark);
ND (279)  4th officina ("ΔXXI");

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