2016-12-22 Thu

A 42 B.C silver denarius struck by a travelling military mint in northern Greece is offered in Classical Numismatic Group’s Triton XX auction on January 10th and 11th.

Julius Caesar in ancient Rome was assassinated by Brutus, and his co-conspirator Gaius Cassius Longinus. They occupied Rome very soon. Brutus and Cassius went their separate ways but met again in early 42 B.C. in Smyrna, Ionia. They started preparing themselves for their battle against Mark Antony and Octavian, Caesar’s grandnephew. They conquered cities using armies. The coin offered at the caution was probably struck to pay the army.

The obverse features Neptune, the Roman god of the sea; Victory is depicted on the reverse with the name of Brutus and an inscription of propaganda.