Rare Roman gold coin featuring Marcus Brutus sells for €1.98 million at Geneva auction

In Geneva, a rare Roman gold coin featuring the portrait of Marcus Brutus, the infamous assassin of Julius Caesar, was recently auctioned for a staggering €1.98 million, as reported by BFMTV. The coin, an aureus weighing 8 grams and similar in size to a euro, started with a bidding price of over €800,000, initiating "an intense battle between eight online bidders," detailed the auction house, according to The Guardian.

"It's a coin that comes back on the market after a generation. These are excessively rare coins and the possibility of acquiring it is just as rare," Baldacci, director of Numismatica Genevensis, said, as reported by Le Temps Science.

The obverse of the coin features the profile of Brutus's head surrounded by laurel leaves and the title "BRVTVS IMP," referring to his military victories. Baldacci explained that the laurel crown is a sign "for a person who wants to promote himself as emperor," noting the presence of the inscription "IMP" on it, which symbolizes the title "Commander of the Armies" (Imperator) that became hereditary under the empire. The coin celebrates Brutus's recent military successes with warrior symbols, including a trophy commemorating a naval victory. On the reverse side, there are two side-by-side ships, representing the naval victories of Brutus and Cassius in 42 BCE, as detailed by Live Science.

Brutus issued such coins to pay his soldiers, minting both silver denarii, worth about a day's wage, and gold aurei, equivalent to 25 denarii or roughly a month's pay. "While most legionaries of this period demanded a daily wage of only one denarius, Brutus paid each of his soldiers before the Battle of Philippi the immense sum of 1,500 denarii," El Confidencial reported. This generous payment posed a significant logistical task for Brutus's advisors in minting and distributing silver coins to 80,000 legionaries in a short time.

The coin had a significant "propaganda value," according to Baldacci, as it linked Brutus to the final chapters of the Roman Republic. Brutus's portrait on the coin emphasizes his role as a powerful and strategic military leader. "A numismatist feels great joy when he has a coin like this in his hands because this aureus is a piece of history," Baldacci stated, as reported by RTBF.

The coin traveled through the centuries, passing from hand to hand, and did not resurface until the 1950s when it was published in a catalog of a private collector, according to Le Temps Science. It reappeared at auctions in 2006 in Zurich, where it was sold to another private collector for 360,000 Swiss francs. The coin has been stored in a sealed box to ensure its safety and authenticity.

The assassination of Julius Caesar on March 15, 44 BCE., is one of the most famous events in Roman history. The conspiracy was led by Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus, who once were close allies of Caesar. More than 60 other senators were involved in the plan, believing that Caesar's growing power threatened the Roman Republic. Julius Caesar was stabbed 23 times, and as he lay dying, he allegedly said, "Et tu, Brute?" which translates to "Even you, Brutus?"

After the assassination, Brutus and Cassius attempted to take over the eastern provinces, while Caesar's allies remained in Rome. The disagreements between the conspirators and allies eventually forced a civil war that lasted from 43 to 42 BCE The civil war ended when Caesar's allies defeated Brutus and Cassius at the Battle of Philippi in Greece. Following the defeat, Brutus committed suicide.

"This aureus is not just a coin; it's a piece of history," Baldacci said, according to BFMTV. The combination of its rarity, historical context, and the story of Brutus makes it an exceptional artifact.

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq