Probus - Lugdunum - VIRTVS AVGVSTI variant

[maridvnvm]

In the first Emission of Probus from Lugdunum one of the standard types is as below:-

Obv:– IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG, Radiate cuirassed bust right
Rev:– VIRTVS AVGVSTI, Mars walking right, holding spear and trophy.
Minted in Lugdunum (II in exe) Emission 1, Officina 2. October 276 A.D.
Reference:– Cohen 858. Bastien 152. RIC 58 Bust type F

Weight 4.37g. 23.49mm. 0 degrees



There are some oddities that scarcely occur within the obverse legend where AVR is engraved as AR. There appear to be a coupld of known AR dies.

Bastien Supplement II brought in a new variation of the above coin as Bastien 154α citing 3 examples, Bastien 154 is the same type as the coin above but comes from Officina 3 (III in exe). Bastien 154α has the AR obverse legend variation. The Philippe Gysen example of the type is illustrated below (from the 2019 Jacquier sale).

Attached below

I have just acquired another new variation. This new coin is as AR legend variety but from officina 2 (II in exe) and is currently an unpublished variety.

Obv:– IMP C M AR(sic) PROBVS AVG, Radiate, cuirassed bust right
Rev:– VIRTVS AVGVSTI, Mars walking right, holding spear and trophy.
Minted in Lugdunum (II in exe) Emission 1, Officina 2. October 276 A.D.



What makes this coin additionally numismatically interesting is that it is from the same obverse die as the Gysen example. This would indicate that the obverse die is shared between the Officinae.

It isn't the only AR example that I have with my other example from a different obverse die shown below.

Obv:– IMP C M AR(sic) PROBVS AVG, Radiate, cuirassed bust right
Rev:– TEMPORVM FELICITAS, Felicitas standing right, holding caduceus and cornucopiae
Minted in Lugdunum (I) Emission 1, Officina 1. Early A.D. 277
Reference(s) – Cohen 729, Bastien 151b (151 has AVR and cites 15 examples). RIC 52 var Bust type F (C).

Weight 3.53g. 22.85mm. 0 degrees

[Teutoburgium]

Should this legend be called a variety?
I would prefer to describe these coins as die-cutters error (one letter is omitted by mistake).

Teutoburgium

[Barnaba6]

Hi Martin.

Great addition indeed! Congratulations! It is very interesting that you found the same obverse die with a spelling error but from two different officinae. I don;t recall ever finding a die match among different officinae. To my knowledge the dies were not shared between officiane, rather each officina had its own set of dies. It is also the opinion of the leading scholars on Probus. So your discovery is truly fascinating!

By the way, I had the privilege to own the Gysen error example for more than two years (I have sold it recently however):

https://www.colleconline.com/en/items/181884/coins-antique-to-roman-republican-imperial-probus-bastien-154-ar-sic-sold

regards,

Barnaba   

[SEstiot]

From the collections Paris-Vienna (BNCMER XII.2), there is an obverse die link between coins catal. 11-12 (both in Vienna, Bast. 152 var.) VIRTVS AVGVSTI // II and coins catal. 23-24 (Paris, Vienna) +coll. P. Gysen (see Le monnayage de l'atelier de Lyon. Supplément II, 2003, 154alpha a-c).
The other coin you quote IMP C M AR PROBVS AVG -B- TEMPORVM FELICITAS //I (Bast. 151b) appears in my catalogue under catal. 3.
Thank you for drawing the attention on these engraving errors, which in turn bring to light die links between officinae.
This is one of the rare links between different officinae attested for Probus. Lyon is under his reign a poorly controlled mint, as attested by the number of scalptor's mistakes on dies, which have nevertheless escaped controls and struck coins which went into circulation.
Sylviane Estiot

[Rupert]

Interesting that this mint had poor administrative control but the best portrait engravers, isn't it? Fascinating.

Rupert