Probus - strange obverse

[oa]

Dear All,

I am attaching images of a Probus antoninianus that has puzzled me for a while. Despite the low quality scans (the coin is not in my possession - it belongs to a friend of mine who is abroad), I think that the main interesting features are clear. Namely, I have not seen this obverse - the emperor seems to be holding a spear (behind him) and two arrows (in front of him).

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[maridvnvm]

That is a rare bust type described as "Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right, holding javelin in right hand and shield with two additional javelins in left". The bust type isn't included in RIC but wasn't known to Alföldi either in his study of the coinage of Siscia. It is known (helmeted) from medallions. Cf. Bastien, Le Buste monetaire..., Pl. 126 no. 12 & 14. Also cf. ibid. Pl. 141 no. 8, aureus of Diocletian.

It is known for a RIC 723 variant, illustrated below (image from provs,info).



The original coin above would be listed as RIC 756 var. RIC 756 seems to be rare too with only 8 examples (all different in some way, either bust or officina) known to Philippe Gysen. I was discussing this with Lars just the other day!

It is from the same obverse die though the coins are from two different emissions.

A very nice find indeed.
Regards,
Martin

[Pscipio]

The original coin above would be listed as RIC 756 var. RIC 756 seems to be rare too with only 8 examples (all different in some way, either bust or officina) known to Philippe Gysen. I was discussing this with Lars just the other day!

Indeed, and this is the reason why we discussed it (see pic).

Lars

[maridvnvm]

I have a 756 too and in this case the officina isn't in RIC or Alföldi though a common bust type. It does look to come from the same reverse die as the top coin though this is tentative due to the small image above.



Regards,
Martin

[SEstiot]

As I wrote to Oa, congratulations for showing us this exceptional coin ! I must say I am particularly interested in this ineditum as I just finished an article (S. Estiot, Sine arcu sagittae, to be published in Numismatische Zeitschrift, Wien, 2008) dealing with this special "imperial bust with javelin and arrows" - which are definitively not arrows at all...
As Martin wrote, this is the second Probus aurelianus along with the Provident Aug one, to be attributed to Siscia. Both coins belong to the emission which inaugurated this special bust (279-280 AD, my datation) in the imperial coinage : so a new reverse to be added to the present catalogue for this bust (16 types)...
For Probus, apart from the aureliani and medallions from Siscia (Abschläge of gold multiples), this bust has been minted by Ticinum too (denarii on aurei dies, Paris and Vienna).
This very rare bust appears, always in special issues (gold, medallions, etc., often unica) under Probus, the Dyarchy, 1rst and 2nd Tetrarchy, and stops abruptly to be emitted in 307 (nummi) at the beginning of Maxentius' usurpation and at the eve of Severus' campaign in Italy against him.
Additionally, it is one example (among many) which shows an obverse die linking between Probus' Siscian emissions //XXIP and P//XXI : Pink's classification of the emissions from Siscia  (R/ Salus Aug //XXIT  : Pink em. 5, 278 AD and R/ Provident Aug -/T//XXI : Pink em. 7, 280 AD) is seriously to be amended.
Thank you again for showing this remarkable coin !
S. Estiot