Sale: Triton IX, Lot: 1584. Estimate $7500.  Closing Date: Monday, 9 January 2006.  Sold For $7000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

PROBUS. 276-282 AD. AV "Heavy" Aureus (6.37 g, 6h). Cyzicus or Antioch mint. Struck circa 281 AD. IMP C M AVR P-ROBVS AVG, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind / CONS-ERVAT AVG, Sol standing right, head left, raising right hand, 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 lustre. ($7500)

This exceptionally heavy gold coin was struck at the rate of 47 per Roman pound, making it a nearly perfect 1.5-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 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).