Probus, 276-282. Antoninianus (Bronze, 22 mm, 2.71 g, 12 h), Siscia, 278. IMP PROBVS P F AVG Radiate bust of Probus to left in consular robes, holding eagle-tipped scepter in his right hand. Rev. CALLIOPE AVG Calliope standing right, playing lyre set on her left knee, left foot propped on globe. Alföldi 14/1. Cohen -. Gysen -. Lanz 100 (2000), 419 (same reverse die). RIC -. Triton IX (2006), 1582 (same reverse die). Extremely rare, one of just eight known examples. Struck from worn dies, otherwise, fine.


The reverse of this extremely rare antoninianus from Siscia of Probus features Calliope, the muse of poetry. The coin was likely struck in the autumn of 278, a period when Probus was consolidating his authority following a series of significant military victories. In the preceding years, he had driven the Franks and Alemanni out of Gaul, reinforced the Rhine frontier through a successful campaign, and repelled invading Burgundians, Goths, and Vandals in Raetia. As he made his way eastward, celebrations in his native Illyria honored these achievements, and this sentiment was reflected in the coinage produced in Siscia.

Throughout Roman history, Calliope appeared on coinage only twice. The first instance was in 56 BC, when the Republican moneyer Q. Pomponius Musa issued a series dedicated to the Muses, a direct reference to his own name. The antoniniani of Probus, however, belong to a completely different context, as Calliope is not depicted alongside her sisters here. Instead, she takes on a singular role, befitting her status as the eldest and wisest of the Muses - associated with epic poetry, the lyre, and heroic verse. Her presence on this coin serves as a deliberate allusion to poetic immortality, ensuring that the emperor’s triumphs would be eternally celebrated.

Genuine examples of this type are among the rarest in Probus' coinage, and most supposed specimens on the market are either heavily tooled and altered or outright forgeries. Only eight authentic pieces are known today, all struck from the same reverse die - almost certainly the only one ever produced. These include one in Rome, one in Belgrade, the piece from the Benz collection, another sold in the 2006 Triton IX auction, a heavily tooled but likely genuine specimen offered in Lanz 159 (2014), 573, and two more in private collections. Given its extreme rarity and historical significance, this coin represents a truly exceptional opportunity for collectors to acquire the most famous and prestigious reverse type in the entire series of Probus.