A rare Roman coin bearing the portrait of Brutus, one of the assassins of Julius Caesar, was sold at a Geneva auction on Monday, December 9, for 1.98 million euros, according to organiser Numismatica Genevensis. The coin was purchased by a “European collector following intense bidding among eight online bidders,” fetching over 1.83 million Swiss francs ($2.09 million), as stated by the auction house.
Initially valued at over 800,000 euros, the coin weighs eight grams and is about the size of a euro. Frank Baldacci, director of Numismatica Genevensis, described it as “a piece of history” marking the final chapters of the Roman Republic. “The coin was minted in 43-42 BC by Brutus and his supporters who murdered Julius Caesar in March 44 BC,” Baldacci explained.
The obverse of the coin features Brutus’s profile surrounded by a laurel wreath, while the reverse depicts war symbols celebrating his military victories. “The wreath in particular is a sign of someone who wants to promote himself as emperor,” Baldacci noted, adding that its circulation served as “propaganda” for Brutus.
The coin is one of only 17 known examples, according to the auction house. It first resurfaced in the 1950s in a private collector’s catalogue and later appeared at a 2006 Zurich auction, where it sold for 360,000 Swiss francs.