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Probus- Eagle Provincial
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Probus, summer 276 - September 282 A.D.
Obverse:
Laureate and cuirassed bust right
AK M AVP ΠPOBOC CEB (epsilon)B
AK: AUTOKRATOR (greek indication for monarch)
M: Marcus
AVP: Aureus
ΠPOBOC: (pi)PROBOC (Probus)
CEB: SEBASTOS (greek indication for augustus).
Reverse:
L -Δ (delta=year 4) across fields
Eagle standing right, head turned back, wreath in beak. The ties are one back and one straight down
Domination: Billon drachm, size 23 mm.
Mint: Alexandria, provincial. Milne #4588
Comment:
Since this is a provincial coin, it does not have a RIC number.
This is a very interesting coin, as it is overstruck on a previous issue, possibly of Aurelian.
If one look to the right and below Probus' chin one will see an outline of another nose, mouth and chin. Also, between about 4.30 amd 5.30 on the obverse one can see signs of large border pellets, unlike the small pellets of the Probus type, and there is 'interference' in the CEB of the legend.
The reverse shows traces of the undertype too, and the spread flan is another giveaway (most Probus tetradrachms which are not overstrikes are quite thick with smallish flans).
I(Manzikert) have two similar overstrikes (both year 3), and it appears there was a monetary reform by Aurelian c.274-5, and some earlier coins were overstruck with Aurelian's, Tacitus' and Probus' types. There is a paper about these by W.E. Metcalf in 'Studies in Greek numismatics in memory of Martin Jessop Price'
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