Ancient Art, Antiquities, Books, Natural History, Stamps & Coins

IMP PROB-VS P F AVG, laureate and cuirassed bust to left, Medusa head and aegis on cuirass, holding spear over far shoulder / VBIQVE PAX, Victory, holding olive branch in right hand and reins in left, driving fast biga to right. RIC V.2 139; Estiot, L’atelier de Rome au début du règne de Probus pl. 12, 67.3 (D15/R28); Biaggi -; Calicó 4209; Hunterian -; Jameson -; Mazzini -. 6.69gr, 21mm, 6h.

Good Extremely Fine. Well-centred and wonderfully lustrous. Very rare; only very few specimens are known.

Ex Leu Numismatik AG, Auction 13, 27 May 2023, lot 348. Acquired on the UK coin market. From the private coin collection of a West London, UK, gentleman.

From Leu Numismatik note: VBIQVE PAX, 'peace everywhere'! - this is what the reverse of this beautiful aureus boldly proclaims. Yet while Roman authorities, like most governments, had a tendency of exaggerating successes and sugar-coating defeats, the message delivered to the public with this very rare emission was not entirely off the mark. Up to this date, Probus and his army had constantly been in the field, fighting off barbarian incursions into the empire, local unrests, and internal revolts alike. However, with the rebellions in Britain, Gaul, Germany, and Syria crushed and the frontiers secured for now, the emperor had every right to be proud of his achievements, and he consequently celebrated a well-deserved triumph in Rome in late 281. It is on this occasion that our coin was issued, and probably handed out to the troops or important officials, forming a beautiful testimony to the highly sophisticated Roman political iconography of the period. Unfortunately for the emperor, however, it was reportedly the very peace he had achieved that would, in a strange twist of fate, lead to his downfall the next year, when he was assassinated by a gang of bored and frustrated legionaries.

D N DIOCLETIANO P F S AVG, laureate and mantled bust to right, holding olive branch and mappa / QVIES AVGG, Quies standing to left, holding branch and sceptre; PLN in exergue. RIC VI 98; C&T 5.01.010. 7.51gr, 28mm, 7h.

Good Very Fine.

Ex L.A.L. Ex Baldwin's, London, UK, May-December 1989. Property of a London, UK, antiquarian. Accompanied by three old coin tickets.

IMP C M AVR VAL MAXIMIANVS P F AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust to right / IOV ET HERCV CONSER AVGG, Jupiter, holding globe and sceptre, standing to right, facing Hercules standing to left, holding Victory on globe, club and lionskin; crescent over H in lower centre; XXI in exergue. RIC 622. 4.79gr, 23mm, 12h.

Good Very Fine.

Ex Baldwin's, London, UK, August 1987. Property of a London, UK, antiquarian. Accompanied by an old coin ticket.

IMP MAXIMIANVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust to right / PAX AVGG, Pax standing facing, head to left, holding Victory on globe in her right hand and transverse sceptre in her left. RIC 399; Bastien 380; Cohen 438. 4.33gr, 23mm, 6h.

Good Very Fine.

Ex Baldwin's, London, UK, August 1987. Property of a London, UK, antiquarian.

IMP MAXIMIANVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust to right / PAX AVGG, Pax standing facing, head to left, holding Victory on globe in her right hand and transverse sceptre in her left; B in exergue. RIC 399; Bastien 380; Cohen 438. 3.58gr, 23mm, 6h.

Good Very Fine.

Ex Baldwin's, London, UK, August 1987. Property of a London, UK, antiquarian.

IMP MAXIMIANVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust to right / SALVS AVGG, Salus standing to right, feeding snake held in arms; C in exergue. RIC 422. 3.94gr, 22mm, 6h.

Near Extremely Fine.

Ex Baldwin's, London, UK, August 1987. Property of a London, UK, antiquarian.

IMP CARAVSIVS [P F?] AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right / PAX [A]VG, Pax standing to left, holding wreath and sceptre. Cf. RIC 127 (letters in fields and in exergue). 2.56gr, 19mm, 3h.

Near Very Fine. Extremely rare; apparently unpublished.

Ex Baldwin's, London, UK, August 1987. Property of a London, UK, antiquarian.

IMP C CARAVSIVS P F AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust to right / PROVID AVG, Providentia standing facing, head to left, holding baton and cornucopia, globe at feet; S-P across fields, C in exergue. RIC V.2 -; RPC V.5 3027. 4.85gr, 22mm, 7h.

Good Very Fine. Very rare.

Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s. From an East Anglian private collection.

[...VS?] AVG, radiate and draped bust to right / ROMANORVM RENO, She-wolf standing right, head facing, suckling the twins (Romulus and Remus). Cf. RIC V.5 1520. 4.41gr, 23mm, 6h.

Near Very Fine. Exceedingly rare legend of 'ROMANORVM RENO'.

Property of a North London, UK, gentleman.

IMP CARAVSIVS P F AVG, radiate, draped [and cuirassed?] bust to right / CONCOR M, clasped hands; MC below. RIC V.5 -; RIC V.2 -, cf. 211 (MSC). 3.41gr, 21mm, 8h.

Near Very Fine. Unpublished and unique variety.

Property of a North London, UK, gentleman.

FL VAL CONSTANTIVS NOB CAES, radiate and cuirassed bust to right / CONCORDIA MILITVM, emperor standing to right, holding sceptre, receiving Victory on globe from Jupiter standing to left, holding sceptre; HΔ between. RIC VI,15. 3.33gr, 22mm, 1h.

Very Fine.

Acquired on the European coin market. Property of a Kent, UK, gentleman.

FL VAL SEVERVS NOB CAES, laureate head to right / SALVIS AVGG ET CAESS FEL KART, Carthago standing slightly to right, her head turned left, holding fruits in both hands; H in left field and Γ in exergue. RIC 40a. 8.17gr, 29mm, 6h.

Near Very Fine. Rare.

From UK private collection. Property of a London, UK, antiquarian.