Auction Catalogue

17 March 2009

Starting at 1:00 PM

.

Celtic and Ancient Coins

Washington Mayfair Hotel  London  W1J 5HE

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Lot

№ 1289

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17 March 2009

Hammer Price:
£410

Probus (276-82), ‘Aurelianus’, Siscia, c. 277, radiate bust left, wearing imperial mantle and holding eagle-tipped sceptre, rev. SISCIA PROBI AVG XXIT, Siscia seated facing between the two river gods, Savus and Colapis, holding a diadem in her hands, 3.67g/12h (RIC 764; C 638). Very fine, dark patina, very rare £500-600

The reverse alludes to the location of Siscia at the confluence of the two rivers. Tradionally the radiate billon coins of the late 3rd century are called an antoniniani, but aureliani would be more accurate. The Aurelian currency reform of 273 saw the introduction of a new coin to replace the failed so-called antoninianus of two denarii. The identification of the new Aurelianic coin as being tariffed at four denarii seems to have been confirmed in a new section of the Æzani Inscription, a currency reform order which circulated around the empire in 301 (cf. Erim, K.T. and Reynolds, J., The copy of Diocletian's edict on maximum prices from Aphrodisias in Caria, JRS 60 (1970), pp.120-41). The marks of value XXI, sometimes combined with the mint mark, almost certainly indicate that the metallic composition of this new denomination is twenty parts of copper to one of silver, a theory confirmed by metal analysis.