Pre-Long Beach Auction #80

Julius Caesar. Silver Denarius (3.77 g), 44 BC. Rome. M. Mettius, moneyer. CAESAR IMP, laureate head of Julius Caesar right; behind, lituus and simpulum behind. Reverse M METTIVS, Venus standing facing, head left, holding Victory and scepter, resting elbow on shield set on globe behind her; in left field, G. Crawford 480/3; Alföldi type III, pl. XII, 26 (this coin); HCRI 100; Sydenham 1056; RSC 32. Rare and in exceptional state of preservation. A remarkable portrait of fine detail. Lovely dark tone with lighter iridescent highlights. Superb Extremely Fine.

In 44 BC the Senate honored Caesar with the right to place his portrait on the coinage. This presented a revolutionary change as never before had the effigy of a living Roman appeared on the coinage of the Republic (there is the instance of the exceedingly rare gold staters of T. Quinctius Flamininus struck in Macedon 196 BC, but those are not Roman issues). Whether this was simply another honor bestowed by the Senate to appeal to Caesar's vanity or it implied his acceptance of the role of monarch is debated, but certainly the average Roman interpreted it as monarchical aspirations of the dictator: within three months Caesar was dead, struck down by the conspirators on the Ides of March, 44 BC.
Estimated Value $30,000 - 35,000.
Ex The Rubicon Collection (Heritage 3015, 7 September 2011), 23260; NAC 38 (21 March 2007), 1; Bank Leu 10 (29 May 1974), 8; Levis Collection (Ars Classica XI, 18 June 1925), 157.