Gold Coin Rejoicing Over Julius Caesar’s Death 2,000 Years Ago Could Fetch $2M
If you’re looking for a collectible from Ancient Rome, a gold coin celebrating the assassination of Julius Caesar will soon hit the auction block, with the house estimating it could fetch over US$2 million at the sale.
According to Bloomberg, the 2,000-year-old Eid Mar (Ides of March) coin measures slightly smaller than a US quarter and is said to have been minted by Brutus—yes, the one who betrayed Caesar—who is depicted on the front of the coin.
The flipside shows two daggers and a cap traditionally worn by emancipated slaves, a portrayal of how the Roman people viewed Caesar’s rule.
“To have a coin that commemorates such a well-known event, such a famous event, an event that has changed completely the course of history is quite extraordinary,” said Arturo Russo, Managing Director of Numismatica Ars Classica.
This super-important Roman gold coin, minted to celebrate Brutus slaying Caesar (daggers, republican cap, EID MAR = Ides of March), has been on loan to the British Museum for a decade but is now being sold by the owner! That's a big loss pic.twitter.com/UnqHhBW01V
— Josh Spero (@joshspero) March 14, 2022
Even more intriguing, it’s believed that one of Caesar’s murderers, possibly a high-ranking official during the time, had worn the coin after his death.
“It’s something absolutely astonishing to know that this coin has survived,” remarked Russo.
At the moment, there are three of such coins known in the world, one of which sold in 2020 for US$3.7 million, and the other which belongs to the Deutsche Bundesbank.
Fancy adding such a historic artifact to your own collection? The sale will open for bidding at the Hotel Baur au Lac in Zurich on May 30, 2022.
[via Bloomberg and Robb Report, cover image Geni / Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA 4.0)]
