Probus, AE Antoninianus, 22 mm, 4.67g. Siscia, 278 AD.

IMP PROBVS P F AVG, radiate bust left, wearing imperial mantle and holding eagle-tipped sceptre.
CALLIOPE AVG, the muse Calliope, diademed, standing right,
holding large lyre on knee, foot on small cushion or globe. 

RIC -; Cohen 83 var (bust type, Alfoldi 14-1. 

Extremely rare.

Historical note: This reverse for Probus was described as long 
ago as 1718 (Banduri), 1791 (Tanini), Eckhel in 1797 and Cohen
in 1865-1886 but because no example was available for 
inspection before the second World War, Percy Webb 
omitted it from his RIC volume in 1933. Even Pink, in his
article about the coinage of Probus in NZ 73 (1949) stated
that the coin described by Cohen was a fake.
However, Alföldi knew of two examples in the Museo Nazionale 
in Rome and Belgrade university and included it in his book. 

Contributed by Dr. Hubert Lanz, auction November 2000, 
Added July 2011.