Antoninianus — Probus — Clementia Temp

Obverse: IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG, Probus draped, cuirassed, radiate crowned

Reverse: CLEMENTIA TEMP, emperor with trophy receiving globe from Jupiter, XXI

Mass: 2.96 g

Diameter: 22 mm

This antoninianus shows the standard radiate, draped, and cuirassed military bust typical of Probus's coinage, in contrast to the senatorial-dress variant occasionally used to emphasize his civil authority. The reverse depicts Probus holding a trophy while receiving a globe from Jupiter, a type proclaiming both military victory and divine sanction of the emperor's rule, with Jupiter's act of handing over the globe symbolizing the transfer of worldly dominion directly from the king of the gods. The mintmark XXI in the exergue places this among the coinage struck using the debased "twenty parts" silver-to-bronze ratio standard of the later third century, and trace silvering still remains on the surface of this example.

The antoninianus was introduced by Caracalla in 215 AD as a nominally silver coin valued at two denarii, though it never actually contained twice the silver, and by the reign of Probus (276–282 AD) it had been reduced to little more than a bronze core with a thin silver wash. The legend CLEMENTIA TEMP, "the clemency of the times," was part of a broader messaging campaign under Probus proclaiming the return of stability and mild, benevolent rule after decades of crisis, positioning the emperor as both a conqueror and a merciful restorer of order.