Archaios | Probus Antoninianus Ticinum, VIRTVS PROBI AVG / SECVRIT PERP | Scarce

Description

Archaios Numismatics
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Description:
Roman Antoninianus of Probus from the Mint of Ticinum, 281 AD. 9th Emission, 6th Officina
Obverse:
Radiate, Helmeted, and Cuirassed bust of Probus Left, holding Spear and Shield. VIRTVS PROBI AVG,
Reverse:
SECVRIT PERP "everlasting security", Securitas standing left, hand raised to head, with legs crossed and casually resting left arm on column; I in right field; VIXXI in exergue
Mint:
Ticinum (Pavia, Italy)
Size:
22 mm
Weight:
3.66 g
Inventory: 1901.5
Ref:
RIC 5, part II, 526a
Condition:
VF. A Scarce type of the EQITI series, wtih some encrustation but strong details.
As always, Use the Picture as your judge as grading is subjective.
Note:
The
SECURIT PERP (Everlasting Security)
series of coins reflects the successful impact of his efforts to secure the fronties of his empire. This coin is part of the interesting series of AEQUITVS 'encoded' mint marked coins from Ticinum.. in particular the Ticinum mint second EQVITI series (see the NumisWiki article, `Coins of Probus with Coded Markings of EQVITI Embedded in the mint mark.'). The letter `I` in the reverse field is the sixth letter of the codeword EQVITI. The letter `VI` in the exergue indicates this coin was struck by the sixth officina (mint workshop). The letters of the word EQVITI are coded in the mint marks of coins from all the officinae of the mint, with the specific letters of the codeword assigned to each officina in order corresponding with their officina numbers. This codeword probably refers to cavalry. It may be that AEQVITI was truncated to EQVITI because there were only six officinae in operation for this emission.
Emperor
Probus (Marcus Aurelius Probus Augustus)
was born in 232 A.D. and was Roman Emperor from 276 to 282. He was a military tribune during reign and Valerian at a young age and eventually became one of Aurelian's foremost generals. Emperor Tacitus later upon his accession in 275, appointed Probus supreme chief of the east with vast powers. He is said to have fought as a general with success on almost every frontier of the empire, before his election as emperor by the troops upon Tacitus' death of old age in 276, in his camp in Asia Minor.
Probus was an active and successful general as well as a conscientious administrator, and in his reign of six years he secured prosperity for the inner provinces while withstanding repeated inundations of hostile barbarian tribes on almost every sector of the frontier. After repelling the foreign enemies of the empire Probus was forced to handle several internal revolts, but demonstrated leniency and moderation to the vanquished wherever possible.
Excerpts from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia; Forum Numiswiki