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Worth More Than Its Weight In Gold

November 7, 2020

gold coinA really rare ancient gold coin just made history when it sold for far more than its ”weight in gold” (it was only about the size of a United States nickel).  The coin commemorates the assassination of Julius Caesar as it represents the celebration of the dictator’s bloody and brutal murder by members of the Roman Senate who believed that Caesar intended to make himself king.  The coin was issued by Marcus Junius Brutus in 42 BC, two years after Caesar’s death.

On the front of the coin is a portrait of Brutus, who took part in the assassination. On the other side are two daggers, which represent the weapons used to stab Caesar 23 times, along with the words “EUD MAR,” which is the Latin abbreviation for The Ides of March (referring to March 15, the day Caesar was assassinated).

Nearly 100 Ides of March coins still exist, most of which were struck in silver; the one recently sold is just the third example to be found that was struck in gold. The other two examples are in European collections, one in a private collection currently on loan to the British Museum, and the other is in the Deutsche Bundesbank collection.

Conservatively estimated to bring £500K ($650K), the coin easily surpassed the estimate when it sold for $3.5M ($4.2M w/p), which set an auction record for an ancient coin.  The record for the most expensive coin ever sold is a 1794 United States “Flowing Hair Dollar,” the first federally issued coin which sold for $10M in 2013.

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