My Centerpiece: Ides of March denarius

SmEagle1795 · July 19, 2014 11:12AM

In school, we all learned about Brutus’ assassination of Julius Caesar. For me, it was a compelling story, further enhanced by the reading of Shakespeare’s play which told of the events of the Ides of March. However, my deeper fascination with it came when I began collecting ancient coins, learning that, fortunately for historians and collectors alike, Brutus minted a coin commemorating this turning point in Western history.

It’s hard to argue with the #1 ranking given to it by a consortium of collectors and dealers in the “100 Greatest Ancient Coins” book published by Harlan Berk. The trouble with this type is that it’s very hard to find in good condition and regardless of the condition, its popularity drives up the price.

I am extremely fortunate to have been able to acquire a solid-silver example of this historic type. It’s graded nearly EF and considerably better in hand and in my photos than the auction house’s poorly lit images showed. Around 80 examples are known, 30 of which reside in museums, with many of the remaining coins available to private collectors are in extremely poor condition or corroded due to the impure silver in which they were struck in Brutus’ moving mint.

The obverse bears a portrait of Brutus, the most famous of all assassins. The imagery on the reverse of the coin proclaims that the tyrant Julius Caesar is dead and includes the date of the assassination (EIDibus MARtiis, the Ides of March, the 15th of March, 44 BC). The daggers represent Brutus and Cassius, the two leaders of the uprising against Caesar. The daggers surround a liberty cap as a reminder that Caesar was killed in the name of liberty, freeing the Roman people.

This coin is certainly the centerpiece to my collection, and I’ll be posting a more detailed historical write-up soon, accompanied with some other contemporary issues.

Marcus Junius Brutus, Assassin of Caesar and Imperator (44-42 BC). AR denarius (3.73 gm). Mint moving with Brutus in northern Greece, L. Plaetorius Cestianus, magistrate, late summer-autumn 42 BC. BRVT IMP L. PLAET. CEST., bare head of Brutus right, wearing slight beard / EID MAR, pileus (cap of liberty) between two daggers. Crawford 508/3. Cahn 7a (same dies). CRI 216. RSC 15. RCV 1439

EVillageProwler · July 19, 2014 11:22AM

Congrats. This is waaaay cool.

EVP

TIF2 · July 19, 2014 11:44AM

Move over, Dos Equis Man. SmallEagle is here.

Congratulations... what a coup! Hard to top that

JCMhouston · July 19, 2014 11:45AM

That's a wowser!

Zohar · July 19, 2014 12:14PM

We are truly fortunate to have someone like SmEagle1795 who not only plays at the highest league but also takes the time to share and educate. Very nice chap to boot as well!

Awesome piece. I read about this one in the recent Goldberg's auction - is this where it came from?

SmEagle1795 · July 19, 2014 12:31PM

<< <i>We are truly fortunate to have someone like SmEagle1795 who not only plays at the highest league but also takes the time to share and educate. Very nice chap to boot as well!

Awesome piece. I read about this one in the recent Goldberg's auction - is this where it came from? >>

Thanks! It isn't the same coin as the one sold at Goldberg, but it was a historic week as, for the first time ever, two Eid Mars were sold in adjacent auctions. This caused me no small amount of stress. The auction I bought mine from (Lanz) was originally scheduled before the Goldberg sale but they actually moved their auction once they learned another was being sold, likely to attract the underbidder from Goldberg.

The Goldberg example had good detail but was very porous/crystallized, which drove me away from it. Probably for the best as well, as I learned I never would have won it: one of the billionaire Russian bidders was going after it and would buy it at any price.

NAC had an example shortly before Goldberg but it was in very poor condition, graded "Fine", deeply scratched, and in a poor style. However, it sold for much more than I would have thought, causing me to agonize over my bidding plans.

Thankfully, the Lanz auction was much less attended and their picture didn't do them any favors, so I was able to acquire it at a considerable discount to what it could have sold for, a little over half of the Goldberg example and only about 60% more than the NAC example.

While my Roman collection isn't complete by any means, I now have the three "big" coins (Colosseum sestertius, Port of Ostia sestertius, and Eid Mar) which will allow me to put a bit more focus on building the Greek side of my collection

mercurydimeguy · July 19, 2014 12:41PM

My dream coin

RogerDodger · July 19, 2014 12:54PM

WOW!!!

worldcoinguy · July 19, 2014 2:42PM

Stunning addition to complete the big 3! Congrats on a successful conquest and excellent writeup. I feel special just reading posts like this on the forum.

Watch out Greek specialists......you are in his crosshairs now......

lordmarcovan · July 19, 2014 2:43PM

And Lo, there 'tis.

Edit to add:

Pah! I already have one of those.

NiceCurrency · July 19, 2014 4:46PM

Not only is it arguably the best ancient coin, it's damn nice grade wise to boot

What a cool piece

theboz11 · July 19, 2014 7:09PM

meant is all Honor

YOU SUCK.

Andres · July 19, 2014 8:15PM

Great coin, great pictures, great description - Thanks for sharing

Swampboy · July 19, 2014 9:57PM

Aethelred · July 19, 2014 10:18PM

I have always thought this was one of the most interesting of Roman coin types. Off the top of my head I can not think of another coin type that celebrates an assassination.

Great coin SmEagle!

Yours is nice too LordM, but you may want to have it graded before your return period ends.

NiceCureency, if I had been on the Enterprise I would have pushed Wesley Crusher out of an airlock at my earliest opportunity.

STLNATS · July 19, 2014 11:03PM

Great example of a remarkably historical type. Congrats.

TPRC · July 20, 2014 12:57AM

SmEagle--thanks for posting. That is a fantastic piece!

OriginalDan · July 20, 2014 1:13AM

Spectacular! Really appreciate how much you share about your coins.

Weiss · July 20, 2014 3:14AM

Dude.

TIF2 · July 20, 2014 3:35AM

<< <i>And Lo, there 'tis.

Pah! I already have one of those.

>>

Too bad it's not a brockage. I hear those are really valuable.

Tibor · July 20, 2014 5:45AM

Over the past 40+ years all I have seen are off-center
examples. For centering alone this coin is a true rarity
and a prize!! It has to be in the top 5% of survivors.
Thanks for the pics and the info. Coingrats!!

SmEagle1795 · July 20, 2014 2:04PM

<< <i>And Lo, there 'tis.

Edit to add:

Pah! I already have one of those.

>>

A well-centered example in good metal! Must be worth at least face value

SmEagle1795 · July 20, 2014 2:08PM

<< <i>Over the past 40+ years all I have seen are off-center
examples. For centering alone this coin is a true rarity
and a prize!! It has to be in the top 5% of survivors.
Thanks for the pics and the info. Coingrats!! >>

Thanks very much!