Anyone interested in coins from the Principality of Luxembourg knew Romain Probst, editor of the Prixfix catalogue with prices. In general, there was no getting around this amiable colleague whenever it came to numismatics in Luxembourg. But who would have wanted to get around him, anyway? Romain Probst had only friends, and a meeting with him was always a real pleasure. Now, after a long suffering, Romain Probst passed away at the beginning of April 2023.
Numismatics as Vocation and Profession
It is said that the three dominant figures in Luxembourg numismatics were school friends. Raymond Weiller, head of the coin cabinet of the Luxembourg National Museum of History and Art, the coin dealer Jean Paul Divo and Romain Probst, and of course, even when they went to school, they are said to have been enthusiastic about coins.
But when it came to earning a living, Romain Probst took up a completely different profession: he opened a kiosk opposite the railway station, a small goldmine back then. And because he couldn’t quite leave it alone, he also dealt in coins in this kiosk. Slowly, the coin trade grew and the kiosk became a sideline.
Lux-Numis
Under the company name Lux-Numis, Romain Probst published price lists and took care of many customers who were interested in Luxembourg coins, but also in ancient coins. Because of his reliability and his absolute correctness, many of his fellow coin dealers enjoyed working with him and had him represent them at auctions at home and abroad. Therefore Romain Probst was a constant guest at the auctions of Europe. As he spoke fluently German and French, he became a link between the German and French coin trade.
Incidentally, he also organised auctions himself, but only three in the years between 1988 and 1991. It is said that he was so excited before his own first auction that he fell ill and was unable to auction himself. Jean-Paul Divo took over for him while the auctioneer stayed in bed.
Trier and Luxembourg
Romain Probst was a member of the International Association of Professional Numismatists. He chaired the Cercle Numismatique de Grand-Duché du Luxembourg for many years. And besides his annual new edition of the Prifix of Luxembourg coins, he published an illustrated catalogue of the coins of the Treveri in 1997.
But all these facts do not even begin to describe this amiable colleague. Romain Probst was always charming, always polite, always entertaining and at the same time of a reliability and seriousness that not only commanded trust but also respect. In the last few years it became very quiet around him. He suffered from Parkinson’s disease and lost all his precious memories bit by bit. Now Romain Probst has passed away quietly and unnoticed. Our sympathy goes to his son Pascal.
