Probus Antoninianus RIC V Probus 104

Monetary and Historical Context

The issue catalogued as RIC V Probus 104 was struck within the framework established by Aurelian's monetary reform of 274 AD. That reform had sought to stabilize the empire's collapsing silver coinage by replacing debased radiates with a regulated billon coin often called the aurelianianus, theoretically pegged to a standard silver proportion of one part in twenty (marked on many central and eastern issues as XXI or KA). Although Western workshops such as Lugdunum frequently omitted value marks, their output conformed to this reformed weight and alloy standard. When Probus ascended the throne in 276 AD following the brief reigns of Tacitus and Florianus, the empire remained pressured by Germanic incursions across the Rhine and internal instability in the western provinces. Lugdunum served as a primary logistical mint supplying base-metal coinage to soldiers, administrators, and regional markets in Gaul, the Germaniae, and Britain. By issuing types proclaiming temporal happiness (TEMPOR FELIC), imperial authorities sought to broadcast ideological messages of stability, recovery, and divine favor following military pacification.

Mint and Workshop Production

Production of RIC V Probus 104 was centered entirely at Lugdunum (modern Lyon), an ancient mint city that had been reopened under Aurelian in late 274 AD to replace the rebel coinages of the Gallic Empire. Under Probus, the mint operated with multiple officinae (workshops), typically designated in the exergue by letters or symbols, although early emissions of the reign often lack explicit workshop marks. The flans for these radiates were prepared from cast blanks composed of bronze with a minor silver component, normally around 2.5 to 5 percent silver by weight. Before striking, the flans underwent chemical pickling or blanching in acidic baths to dissolve copper from the outer surface, leaving an enriched layer of pure silver that imparted a bright, lustrous appearance when struck. While the theoretical weight standard clustered near 3.8 to 4.0 grams, individual specimens fluctuate between approximately 3.2 and 4.5 grams, reflecting rapid mass production under wartime conditions. Dies were engraved in the distinctively crisp, robust style characteristic of the Lugdunese master engravers of the late third century.

Obverse Iconography and Attributes

The obverse of RIC V Probus 104 displays a right-facing bust of Emperor Probus, wearing the radiate solar crown and military cuirass. The radiate crown serves as the traditional numismatic indicator of the double-denomination (the antoninianus or reformed radiate), invoking the divine light and protection of Sol Invictus, with whom third-century emperors increasingly aligned their sovereign persona. Probus is depicted with short, closely cropped hair, a neatly trimmed military beard, and a resolute expression characteristic of the Illyrian soldier-emperors. His cuirass (lorica) is rendered with anatomical and metallic detailing, conveying his role as commander-in-chief engaged in continuous frontier campaigns. Unlike certain ceremonial issues from Ticinum or Siscia that feature complex bust varieties with shields, spears, or consular robes, the portraiture on RIC V Probus 104 maintains a sober, standardized military presentation suited to regular civic and military disbursements in the Gallic command.

Reverse Iconography and Symbolism

The reverse composition depicts Felicitas, the personification of good fortune, happiness, and prosperity, standing and turned toward the right. She is draped in a long stola that cascades to her feet, often with an overmantle wrapped around her waist or shoulder. In her right hand, she holds an upright caduceus (kerykeion), the ancient heraldic staff associated with peaceful commerce, reconciliation, and auspicious communication. In her left hand, she cradles a cornucopiae, the horn of plenty overflowing with agricultural produce, symbolizing economic abundance and temporal blessings granted through imperial rule. The personification facing right is a distinctive compositional choice within Probus's Lyon coinage, contrasting with the more conventional left-facing postures common in earlier reigns. The visual pairing of peace (caduceus) and material abundance (cornucopiae) supported the regime's assertion that imperial victories had restored fruitful civilian life across Gaul and the Rhine borderlands.

Epigraphy and Legend Variations

The inscriptions on RIC V Probus 104 follow the standard imperial titulature and propagandistic conventions of the reign. The obverse legend reads IMP C PROBVS P F AVG, an abbreviation for Imperator Caesar Probus Pius Felix Augustus. This formula encapsulates the supreme military authority of the princeps (Imperator), dynastic legitimacy (Caesar), piety toward the gods and the state (Pius), good fortune (Felix), and imperial majesty (Augustus). The reverse legend occurs in two attested epigraphic variants: the contracted form TEMPOR FELIC and the slightly expanded form TEMPOR FELICI, both representing the phrase Temporum Felicitas (the happiness of the times). In Latin epigraphy, the ablative or dative construction exalts the blessed nature of the present era under the reigning Augustus. Lettering at Lugdunum during this period is characterized by broad, clean capitals with prominent serifs, executed with careful spacing around the flan perimeter.

Typology and Chronological Classification

Within the typology of Percy H. Webb in Roman Imperial Coinage Volume V, Part 1, number 104 is catalogued among the Lugdunum issues of Probus. Subsequent specialized research, notably Pierre Bastien's comprehensive corpus of the mint of Lyon, refined the internal chronology of this type. Bastien classified the TEMPOR FELIC and TEMPOR FELICI issues into the early and middle emissions of Probus at Lugdunum, dating their production between 276 and 278 AD, during the period when the emperor personally directed operations in Gaul to expel the Alamanni and Franks. The type was issued alongside complementary reverses dedicated to Pax, Fides Militum, and Virtus Augusti. Variations exist depending on the presence, absence, or configuration of officina marks in the exergue, as well as minor stylistic variations in the drapery of Felicitas and the details of Probus's cuirass. Over the course of the reign, reverse types at Lugdunum shifted toward explicit celebrations of military triumphs and consular renewals, placing RIC V Probus 104 as a foundational ideological issue struck near the beginning of his pacification of the West.

Circulation and Archaeological Evidence

Coins of the RIC V Probus 104 type circulated widely throughout the northwestern provinces of the Roman Empire, including Gallia Belgica, Gallia Lugdunensis, the Germaniae, and Britannia. The rapid wear of the thin superficial silvering meant that in everyday trade, these coins quickly took on a bronze appearance, though their legal tariff remained guaranteed by the imperial state. Archaeological findspots in Roman camps, roadside settlements, and urban centers along the Rhine limes confirm their use in regular market transactions as well as military pay. The type is frequently represented in major late third-century hoards, such as the Cunetio and Normanby hoards in Britain and numerous French hoards from the Rhône valley and Normandy. These deposits reflect the heavy monetary consolidation of the 270s and 280s AD and indicate that reformed radiates from Lugdunum formed the backbone of regional liquid currency until the monetary restructuring introduced by Diocletian and the Tetrarchy in 294 AD.

References

1. Le monnayage de l'atelier de Lyon: De la reouverture de l'atelier par Aurelien a la mort de Carin (fin 274 - mi 285). pp. 145-190
2. Monnaies de l'Empire romain XII.1: D'Aurelien a Florien (275-276 apres J.-C.). Lugdunum mint analysis
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC V Probus 104. ric.5.pro.104
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume V, Part 1. p. 31, no. 104