The Ides of March coin also known as the Denarius of Brutus or the EID MAR is a rare version of the

denarius The denarius (, dēnāriī ) was the standard Roman silver coin from its introduction in the Second Punic War to the reign of Gordian III (AD 238–244), when it was gradually replaced by the antoninianus. It continued to be minted in very ...

coin issued by

Marcus Junius Brutus Marcus Junius Brutus (; ; 85 BC – 23 October 42 BC), often referred to simply as Brutus, was a Roman politician, orator, and the most famous of the assassins of Julius Caesar. After being adopted by a relative, he used the name Quintus Serv ...

from 43 to 42 BC. The coin was struck to celebrate the March 15,

44 BC __NOTOC__ Year 44 BC was either a common year starting on Sunday, common year starting on Monday, leap year starting on Friday, or leap year starting on Saturday. (link will display the full Julian calendar) (the sources differ, see leap year ...

assassination Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

. It features a bust of Brutus, who was one of the assassins, on the obverse while the reverse features a pileus cap between two daggers. The coin was

minted Minted is an online marketplace of premium design goods created by independent artists and designers. The company sources art and design from a community of more than 16,000 independent artists from around the world. Minted offers artists two bus ...

in both silver and gold. Approximately 100 of the silver coins are known to exist, but only three of the gold examples have survived. The coin is considered one of the rarest ancient Roman coins.

Background

The coin was struck with the words EID MAR (short for ''Eidibus Martiis'' – on the Ides of March) to commemorate the

March 15 Events Pre-1600 * 474 BC – Roman consul Aulus Manlius Vulso celebrates an ovation for concluding the war against Veii and securing a forty years' truce. *44 BC – The assassination of Julius Caesar takes place. * 493 – Odoa ...

, 44 BC. The assassin Brutus appears on the coin's obverse with a bust of him, looking to the right. The reverse of the coin displays a pileus cap flanked by two daggers. EID MAR appears on the reverse below the daggers to commemorate the assassination of Caesar during the

Ides of March The Ides of March (; la, Idus Martiae, Late Latin: ) is the 74th day in the Roman calendar, corresponding to 15 March. It was marked by several religious observances and was notable in Rome as a deadline for settling debts. In 44 BC, it became ...

. The pileus cap was a Roman symbol of freedom, and was often worn by recently freed slaves. The daggers represent the weapons which were used to kill

. The minting of the coins took place between 43 and 42 BC, coinciding with the

Liberators' civil war The Liberators' civil war (43–42 BC) was started by the Second Triumvirate to avenge Julius Caesar's assassination. The war was fought by the forces of Mark Antony and Octavian (the Second Triumvirate members) against the forces of Caesar's ...

. The coins were struck by a "military mint" which traveled with Brutus. The coins were ordered by Brutus and produced by Lucius Plaetorius Cestianus, possibly to pay Brutus' army. The issuance of the coin suggests that the assassination was legitimized by the state, but it was not. The minting of the coin may also be a political statement or propaganda commissioned by the assassins of Caesar. An interpretation of the coin's symbols is that the Roman state was liberated from slavery with the assassination of Caesar. Eid mar aureus BM

Varieties

The coin is roughly the size of the

American nickel A nickel is a five- cent coin struck by the United States Mint. Composed of cupronickel (75% copper and 25% nickel), the piece has been issued since 1866. Its diameter is 0.835 inches (21.21 mm) and its thickness is 0.077 inches ...

coin, and it is considered collectable and rare. It was called the number 1 coin in Harlan Berk's 2019 book, ''100 Greatest Ancient Coins''. The majority of the coins were struck in silver, but there is an exceedingly scarce variety of the coin struck in gold. On October 29, 2020, one of the gold variety sold at the Roma Numismatics auction in London, for £3,240,000 (US$4,188,393). There are approximately 100 known examples struck in silver and only three known examples of the gold variety. One of the surviving gold coins has a hole made in it during the Roman period.

References

External links

*
Gold “EID MAR Assassination Coin”
{{Portal bar, Numismatics, Ancient Rome 42 BC 43 BC Commemorative coins Coins of ancient Rome Coins in the Bible Numismatics Silver coins Gold coins Assassination of Julius Caesar