Sol in Quadriga Facing

This image of a quadriga, or four horse chariot being driven straight out of the coin's surface at the viewer is on the reverse of an antoninianus of the Roman emperor Probus. The driver is the sun god Sol, whose attributes include the radiate sun crown. The radiate crown is the same spiked crown worn by the Statue of Liberty familiar to most Americans. Sol was a military cult god popular during the latter Third Century seen on many coins of Aurelian, Probus, and the Tetrarchs. The celator who engraved this reverse die had to distort perspective in order to show the magnificent animals pulling Sol's chariot. Two horses have their heads turned back towards the charioteer, and look like the type of critter that would give the famed American cowpoke "One helluva ride" should he be so brash as to loose the animal from its harness and attempt to throw a saddle on its back!

This massive work of art almost completely fills both fields of the 24mm coin. This resulted in a bit of a physics problem when it came to striking the coins. So much metal had to be displaced in order to fill out the design in the die properly that many of these coins are found flatly struck, though they may be close to uncirculated othewise. All ancient coins were struck by hand, and it took a powerful blow with a hammer and a flan heated to the right temperature to get a good strike. On top of this, many coins struck during the period from A. D. 250 to 285 were hastily produced. During this time of economic crisis, the value of each piece was so low that scholars estimate a Roman mint had to employ several hundred workers to strike over a million coins per day just to pay the soldiers. Though the coin shows some flatness in striking, this is a much nicer piece than most and the author is lucky to have been able to obtain one for this article.

The legend SOLI INVICTO translates as "The Invincible Sun God" and alludes to his association with the military.

The coin is listed in David Sear's Roman Coins and their Values as s3371.