Roman Age of Chaos: Rise of the Thirty Tyrants
This coin was made during the reign of Emperor Probus who ruled Rome from 276-282 AD, during a difficult time historians call the "Age of Chaos" or "Crisis of the Third Century." It's part of a special collection showing coins from this troubled period when Rome had many short-lived emperors. Though it looks silver, it's actually mostly bronze with a thin silver coating - showing how Rome was struggling economically during this time.
Coin Description:
Front side: Shows Emperor Probus facing right, wearing a crown with spiky rays (like sun rays) coming out of it. Around his portrait are the Latin letters "IMP C M AVG PROBUS PF AVG," which is short for his official titles - Emperor Caesar Marcus Aurelius Probus, Pius Felix Augustus.
Back side: Shows Emperor Probus riding a horse facing left, displaying his power as a military leader. The letter "T" appears between the horse's legs, with "PROBI AVG" (meaning "of Probus Augustus") written above, and "XXIMC" at the bottom below the ground line.
Technical Details:
Made of bronze with a thin silver coating (most of the silver has worn away over time)
Type: Antoninianus (originally worth two denarii, but by this time had very little actual value)
Part of a special "Age of Chaos" four-coin collection (catalog number: AGEOFCHAOS-CLRBOX)
Made between 276-282 AD at one of Rome's official mints
Historical Significance:
Emperor Probus ruled during one of the worst crises in Roman history (235-284 AD), when Rome faced attacks from outside enemies, civil wars between Roman armies, economic problems, and deadly diseases. Despite ruling for only six years, Probus was actually one of the more successful emperors of this time. He won important battles against Germanic tribes and tried to improve Rome's economy. The horse image on the back of the coin emphasizes his role as a military commander - most emperors during this period were army generals who were promoted by their soldiers. Sadly, like many emperors of this time, Probus was killed by his own troops in 282 AD when they became unhappy with him, showing how dangerous and unstable Roman politics had become during this "Age of Chaos."
This coin was made during the reign of Emperor Probus who ruled Rome from 276-282 AD, during a difficult time historians call the "Age of Chaos" or "Crisis of the Third Century." It's part of a special collection showing coins from this troubled period when Rome had many short-lived emperors. Though it looks silver, it's actually mostly bronze with a thin silver coating - showing how Rome was struggling economically during this time.
Coin Description:
Front side: Shows Emperor Probus facing right, wearing a crown with spiky rays (like sun rays) coming out of it. Around his portrait are the Latin letters "IMP C M AVG PROBUS PF AVG," which is short for his official titles - Emperor Caesar Marcus Aurelius Probus, Pius Felix Augustus.
Back side: Shows Emperor Probus riding a horse facing left, displaying his power as a military leader. The letter "T" appears between the horse's legs, with "PROBI AVG" (meaning "of Probus Augustus") written above, and "XXIMC" at the bottom below the ground line.
Technical Details:
Made of bronze with a thin silver coating (most of the silver has worn away over time)
Type: Antoninianus (originally worth two denarii, but by this time had very little actual value)
Part of a special "Age of Chaos" four-coin collection (catalog number: AGEOFCHAOS-CLRBOX)
Made between 276-282 AD at one of Rome's official mints
Historical Significance:
Emperor Probus ruled during one of the worst crises in Roman history (235-284 AD), when Rome faced attacks from outside enemies, civil wars between Roman armies, economic problems, and deadly diseases. Despite ruling for only six years, Probus was actually one of the more successful emperors of this time. He won important battles against Germanic tribes and tried to improve Rome's economy. The horse image on the back of the coin emphasizes his role as a military commander - most emperors during this period were army generals who were promoted by their soldiers. Sadly, like many emperors of this time, Probus was killed by his own troops in 282 AD when they became unhappy with him, showing how dangerous and unstable Roman politics had become during this "Age of Chaos."
This coin was made during the reign of Emperor Probus who ruled Rome from 276-282 AD, during a difficult time historians call the "Age of Chaos" or "Crisis of the Third Century." It's part of a special collection showing coins from this troubled period when Rome had many short-lived emperors. Though it looks silver, it's actually mostly bronze with a thin silver coating - showing how Rome was struggling economically during this time.
Coin Description:
Front side: Shows Emperor Probus facing right, wearing a crown with spiky rays (like sun rays) coming out of it. Around his portrait are the Latin letters "IMP C M AVG PROBUS PF AVG," which is short for his official titles - Emperor Caesar Marcus Aurelius Probus, Pius Felix Augustus.
Back side: Shows Emperor Probus riding a horse facing left, displaying his power as a military leader. The letter "T" appears between the horse's legs, with "PROBI AVG" (meaning "of Probus Augustus") written above, and "XXIMC" at the bottom below the ground line.
Technical Details:
Made of bronze with a thin silver coating (most of the silver has worn away over time)
Type: Antoninianus (originally worth two denarii, but by this time had very little actual value)
Part of a special "Age of Chaos" four-coin collection (catalog number: AGEOFCHAOS-CLRBOX)
Made between 276-282 AD at one of Rome's official mints
Historical Significance:
Emperor Probus ruled during one of the worst crises in Roman history (235-284 AD), when Rome faced attacks from outside enemies, civil wars between Roman armies, economic problems, and deadly diseases. Despite ruling for only six years, Probus was actually one of the more successful emperors of this time. He won important battles against Germanic tribes and tried to improve Rome's economy. The horse image on the back of the coin emphasizes his role as a military commander - most emperors during this period were army generals who were promoted by their soldiers. Sadly, like many emperors of this time, Probus was killed by his own troops in 282 AD when they became unhappy with him, showing how dangerous and unstable Roman politics had become during this "Age of Chaos."
