Pre-Long Beach Auction #91

Brutus. Silver Denarius (3.74 g), 42 BC EF. Military mint traveling with Brutus and Cassius in western Asia Minor or northern Greece. P. Servilius Casca Longus, moneyer. CASCA behind, LONGVS before, Laureate and bearded head of Neptune right; trident below. Reverse: BRVTVS behind, IMP before, Victory advancing right, breaking diadem tied with fillet and holding palm; below, broken scepter. Crawford 507/2; HCRI 212; Sydenham 1298; RSC 3. Toned. Extremely Fine.
It was widely rumored that Julius Caesar aspired to become king, solely wielding autocratic power and returning the Republic to its monarchical foundations. Indeed, many of his affectations - such as his donning red slippers, generally a royal prerogative, as well as placing his statue along with those of Rome's legendary kings - seemed to justify this notion. The reverse type depicting Victory violently tearing the diadem and trampling underfoot a scepter thus evokes the tyrannicides' most powerful statement: that only by their assassination of Caesar was Rome saved from devolving again into tyranny and despotism. Estimated Value $2,000 - 2,500

Tom Peterson collection; Private purchase from Tom Cederline.