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Probus - Lugdunum - Long legend - Short Legend


maridvnvm

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I have sometines gone for more than a year without adding a new coin to my Probus, Lugdunum collection. So far this year my count is up to seven coins, of which only six have arrievd so far. I hope that this year continues in much the same way.

I apologise now for the boredom that I am going to impose upon you as I share these new purchases. I must admit that I am very pleased with them all thus far.

I will now share a couple of my new purchases. These two new coins are scarcer legend variants of common types. One is shorter than the common variant and the other is longer than the common variant.

I will start with the "Laetitia standing left holding wreath and staff" type.

RIC is not very helpful when it comes to chronology for these coins and so we have to rely on Basten. RIC treats coins with legend variations in different ways even when they are the same emperor from the same mint. Here we have the entry for RIC 31. We can see that for this reverse type, Obverse legend - IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG and bust type - Radiate, cuirassed bust right, RIC has given both coins the same entry.

ProbusRIC31.jpg.864144d719e918f17bc22da3032e8ca8.jpg

Bastien however adds the coins to a chronology of issues at the mint and gives each coin a separate entry with a count of examples for each variant to get a mucxh clearer view on their relative scarcity.

Bastien places this reverse type across two separate issues, Issue 2, dating to November to December A.D. 276 and Issue 3 at the Start A.D. 277.  The LAETITIA AVG legend only occurs in Issue 2 but LAETITIA AVGVSTI occurs across both issues. One problem with differentiating the coins across these two issues is that Bastien places them based upon a stylistic variation with the earlier coins being more like Florian/Tacitus Bastien 172 (28 examples cited) and the later coins being more like Probus Bastien 182 (29 examples cited). I regularly struggle with this placement.

This first coin is one that I think is more Florian like and thus my tentative placement to the earlier issue.

Obv:– IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG, Radiate cuirassed bust right
Rev:– LAETITIA AVGVSTI, Laetitia standing left holding wreath and staff
Minted in Lugdunum (IIII) Emission 2, 2nd Phase Officina 4. November to December A.D. 276.
Reference:– Cohen 329. Bastien 172 (28 examples cited). RIC 31 Bust Type F

Weight 3.20g. 23.52mm. 180 degrees

Clashed die resulting in obverse profile being seen on the reverse.

RI_132vs_img.jpg

This second coin is more "Probus" like (the shape of the brow and nose....) and this I tentatively place it in the later issue.

Mint – Lugdunum (IIII in exe) Emission 3 Officina 4. Start A.D. 277
Reference:– Cohen 329. Bastien 182 (29 examples cited). RIC 31 Bust Type F

Weight 4.51g. 22.40mm. 0 degrees

Ex Langtoft hoard

RI_132f_img.jpg

Then we come to my new coin with the shortened version of the legend, which according to Bastien is much scarcer relative to the longer legend varieties. This is reinforced by the general lack of availability in the market. It would appear that the known examples come from 2 separate reverse dies.

Obv:– IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG, Radiate cuirassed bust right
Rev:– LAETITIA AVG, Laetitia standing left holding wreath and staff
Minted in Lugdunum (IIII) Emission 2, 2nd Phase Officina 4. November to December A.D. 276
Reference(s) – Cohen 324. Bastien 173 (3 examples cited). RIC 31 Bust Type F (C)

3.64 gms, 22.74 mm. 0 degrees

RI_132zv_img.JPG

Now we move on to my second new coin - "Providentia standing left holding globe and cornucopiae"

Looking at RIC at the Providentia types we see the following.

ProbusRIC46_48.jpg.510c322598fbf9c6625e848d50215ee8.jpg

Here RIC has given two coins with the globe and cornumcopia type different entries as RIC 46 and 48 due to their reverse legend differences and has placed a different type - "Providentia standing left, holding baton and sceptre; at foot, globe" between them.

Bastien places the RIC 47 coin in the first Issue. This issue is identified due to the continuation of the reverse types of FLorian.

Obv:– IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG, Radiate cuirassed bust right
Rev:– PROVIDENTIA AVG, Providentia standing left, holding baton and sceptre; at foot, globe.
Minted in Lugdunum (III in exe) Emission 1, Officina 3. October 276 A.D.
Reference:– Cohen 497. Bastien 153 (16 examples cited). RIC 47 Bust type F

Weight 3.36g. 21.73mm. 180 degrees

RI_132cy_img.jpg

The other two coins are placed in Issue 2.  In this case the short legend variety, continuing on from the same legend from the first emission is relatively common.

IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG, Radiate cuirassed bust right
Rev:– PROVIDENTIA AVG, Providentia standing left holding globe and cornucopiae.
Minted in Lugdunum (III in exe) Emission 2, Officina 3. November to December A.D. 276.
Reference:– Cohen 496. Bastien 171 (17 examples cited). RIC 46 Bust type F

Weight 3.83g. 23.18mm. 180 degrees

RI_132kr_img.jpg

then we come to my new coin, which is the longer legend variation of the same reverse type.

Obv:– IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG, Radiate cuirassed bust right
Rev:– PROVIDENTIA AVGVSTI, Providentia standing left, holding baton and sceptre; at foot, globe.
Minted in Lugdunum (III in exe) Emission 2, Officina 3. November to December A.D.276
Reference:– Cohen 501. Bastien 170 (4 examples cited) all coins appear to come from the same reverse die. RIC 48 Bust type F

3.78 gms, 22.84 mm. 180 degrees

This coin comes from the same reverse die as the plate examples in Bastien.

RI_132zw_img.JPG

Again. I apologise for these posts but I can but hope that somebody finds them at least a little bit useful as an insight into the dark areas on the inside of my collection.

Regards,

Martin

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Very nice pick-ups Martin.

Your specialty collection is growing nicely. For me, I am too impatient and/or lack the perseverance to hunt down specific rare examples from auctions that is, when they appear on the market. Just keeping track of that would be very time consuming.  In today's morning emails there was one from M-A shops which featured many legionary coins of Gallienus, often represented by animals or mythological creatures along with the number of the legion on the inscription, must have belonged to a very careful collector.

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