History: an important piece of ancient Rome for sale
Renowned numismatic auction house Stack's Bowers Galleries has unveiled, in a press release , an extraordinary ancient coin set to steal the show at the upcoming Global Showcase auction in August 2023 and which constitutes a very important piece of Roman history.
The highlight of the auction is the iconic EID MAR denarius, minted by Marco Giugno Brutus, the notorious assassin of Julius Caesar, but formerly his friend, to whom the Dictator addressed with the famous words "Tu quoque, Brute, filii mi ” The importance of coins in ancient numismatics is incomparable and makes them a timeless masterpiece.
This historically significant coin was minted around 42 BC, about two and a half years after the assassination of Julius Caesar. The coin's intriguing iconography tells a powerful story: two daggers represent the means of Caesar's death, while the Phrygian cap symbolizes the Republic's freedom from tyranny.
Furthermore, the coin explicitly mentions the date of the assassination, indicated as "EID MAR" in the Roman calendar, which commemorates the Ides of March, when the betrayal took place.
Experts predict that the EID MAR denarius will fetch a substantial price at auction, given the recent surge in popularity of these ancient coins. Earlier this year, similar specimens fetched staggering prices of around $600,000 and $720,000. The rarity and historical significance of this coin ensures that the fervor of the Stack's Bowers auction will be just as enthusiastic. Two years ago the very rare gold version of the same coin, a aureus, was sold for about 4 million dollars and is one of the oldest coins.
Marcus June Brutus
The intriguing story of Julius Caesar's assassin
The history of the EID MAR Denarius is as fascinating as the coin itself. Julius Caesar declared himself "perpetual dictator" after a series of military victories, causing unrest among politicians who saw his power as excessive, with the risk of proclaiming himself king, something unacceptable for an ancient Roman.
A group of Roman senators, led by Marcus Junius Brutus and Cassius, orchestrated a plot to assassinate Caesar, ending his life on the Ides of March 44 BC
Having accomplished their deed, they expected to be hailed as heroes by the people, but instead found themselves isolated and opposed by Caesar's supporters, including his heir Octavian and his lieutenant Mark Antony. Brutus and Cassius were forced to flee Rome and seek allies in other provinces of the empire.
For two years, Brutus and Cassius fought a civil war against the forces of Octavian and Antony, who wanted to avenge Caesar and consolidate their power. The decisive battle took place at Philippi, in Macedonia, in 42 BC Brutus and Cassius had a larger army, but less trained and less motivated. Moreover, they were divided by disagreements and suspicions. In the first stage of the battle, Cassius was defeated by Antony and committed suicide, mistakenly believing that Brutus had also been defeated. In the second phase, Brutus managed to hold out for a while, but then he was surrounded by enemy troops and stabbed himself with the same sword with which he had killed Caesar.
Brutus and Cassius died as they had lived: convinced they had acted for the good of the republic, but in reality victims of their ambition and their political blindness. Their death marked the end of the republican era and the beginning of the imperial era in Rome.
The EID MAR denarius was born during the battle of Philippi, when Brutus minted the coin to pay his soldiers. The obverse features the bust of Brutus and the inscription “BRUT IMP”, indicating the commander Brutus. At the time it was enough to have silver or gold to mint money which, with these inscriptions, also became a communication tool.
The journey of a rare coin to the auction
The next auction at Stack's Bowers Galleries will be the third of the prestigious Dr. Michael Rogers Collection. Previous sales of this collection have already set impressive records, with aurei from Elagabalus, Macrinus and Otho fetching remarkable prices.
The EID MAR silver denarius, expected to fetch $300,000, is an extraordinary find among ancient coins. Although hundreds of thousands of these coins were minted at the time, only about 100 examples survive today.
Most of them have been found in Greece, but some have emerged in various other countries, revealing the wide circulation of the coin until at least 4 BC
While numismatic enthusiasts eagerly await the auction, the rare EID MAR denarius is poised to make history once again, attracting collectors from all corners of the world to bid for this timeless piece of ancient history.
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The article History: an important piece of ancient Rome for sale comes from Scenari Economici .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/storia-in-vendita-un-pezzo-importante-della-storia-romana/ on Sun, 06 Aug 2023 20:19:25 +0000.