Pre-Long Beach Auction #90

Julius Caesar. Silver Denarius (3.44 g), 44 BC. Rome. P. Servillius Macer, moneyer. CAESAR before, [DICT PE]RPETVO behind, wreathed and veiled head of Julius Caesar right. Reverse: [P SEPVLLI]VS MACER, Venus standing left, holding Victory and scepter set on shield. Crawford 480/13; HCRI 107d; Sydenham 1074; RSC 39. Virtually as struck from worn dies. Our grade is Sharpness of Very Fine . NGC grade AU; Strike: 3/5, Surface: 3/5. Fine style.

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 $1,500 - 2,000.