PX – GAVA/ (type MONETA, imitation of a Postumus' coin)

Radiate head and draped bust of Bonosus to the right, seen from three quarter ahead.

Moneta? standing on the left holding a scale with the right hand and a cornucopia with the left hand.

Coin illustrated in RIC 5B, plate XX, n°16, source: De Witte,  Revue Numismatique 1859 3 (coin preserved at the Cabinet de France), RN 1859. Other coins illustrated: Malicorne 53 and Malicorne 54. The RIC 5B and Cohen noted legends as: O/ M C BONOSVSVA, R/ PX – GA. Based on the unique copy of the Cabinet de France.

The drapery is visible only on a few examples of other types, all sharing the same obverse die.

I noted the legends descriptions, that are difficult to read and are sometimes an interpretation of strange forms, following the pieces visible on several copies (on the reverse A/ describes an A with a linked V or something similar).. I rely on Mrs. Sylviane Estiot's article, ''Probus et les 'tyrans minuscules' Proculus et Bonosus. Que dit la monnaie'', published in ''Historiae Augustae, Colloquium Nanceiense, Atti dei Convegni sulla Historia Augusta, XII''. Mrs. Estiot demonstrates that the obverse dies are all the same for the entire coinage (same particularity occurs for other reverses types, source: Sylviane Estiot's article). See pages 220 and 221 for copies 14, 15 and 16 (14 = De Witte, Revue Numismatique 1859 3, 15 = Malicorne 53, 16 = Malicorne 54). The theory advanced in the article is that they are in fact imitative coins of Postumus. The types used and the obverse legends are all related to Postumus coins.