Probus (276-282) Aureus - Lyon (281) Exemplaire d’une qualité exceptionnelle. Rarissime, deux exemplaires connus. Exemplaire de la vente Hess-leu 45 du 12 mai 1970, N°628 et de la collection du Perfectionniste (C. Vaudecrane) vente Leu 87 du 6 mai 2003, N°91 Monnaie illustrant le Bastien. 6.60g - Cal. manque - Bastien 303 cet exemplaire. FDC Exceptionnel - NGC MS * (5/5 4/5) “A man of spirit, activity, and justice, equaling Aurelian in military glory, and surpassing him in affability of manners…” (Eutropius, Abridgement of Roman History, 9.XI). Probus was indeed both a successful general and a conscientious administra- tor, who secured prosperity for the Empire’s inner provinces during his six year reign, though he faced repeated inundations of hostile tribes on almost all frontiers. The emperor is depicted here with an exceptional elaborately decorated helmet, and a re- verse legend that celebrates his victory – appropriate for its martial type of a Victory that crowns a trophy of arms. If Bastien was right in dating this issue to the summer of AD 281, then it was struck as a celebration of the victory against the rebels Bonosus and Proculus in Gaul. Therefore, it is significant that the coin was struck in Lugdunum, a Mint that had reopened in AD 274, and used unusually high quality dies, in the province where the emperor had stopped the revolt.