Sale: Triton XII, Lot: 752. Estimate $10000.  Closing Date: Monday, 5 January 2009.  Sold For $17000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Probus. AD 276-282. AV “Heavy” Aureus (6.37 g, 6h). Cyzicus or Antioch mint. Struck circa AD 281. IMP C M AVR P-ROBVS AVG, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind / CONS-ERVAT AVG, Sol standing facing, head left, raising right hand and holding globe in left. RIC V 307, 891, and 915 (Ticinum, Cyzicus, and Antioch); Pink VI/1, p. 40 (Antioch); Calicó 4149; Hunter -; Cohen 175. Near EF, slight red toning, underlying luster.

Ex Triton IX (10 January 2006), lot 1584.

This exceptionally heavy gold coin was struck at the rate of 47 per Roman pound, making it a nearly perfect 1½ aureus of the 70-per-pound standard that seems to have been Probus’ benchmark. RIC places this same type at Ticinum, Cyzicus, and Antioch. The style clearly debunks any attribution to a mint as far west as Ticinum. Although Pink prefers Antioch for this issue, he does note that these aurei are "in the style of Cyzicus." M. Weder, in his analysis of the eastern issues of Probus (NC 1984, pp. 202-213), questions Pink's attribution and argues for a possible allocation of these issues to Cyzicus (pp. 202-203).