“Et Two”… Brutus Coins Certified by NGC Ancients Featured in Heritage Sale

Brutus is once again taking center stage as two of his coins, both certified by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®), are offered for sale in Heritage Auctions’ World's Fair of Money World Coins Signature Auction.

Heritage estimates both coins will realize six-figures. Bidding for these and dozens of NGC Ancients-graded rarities opens in late July for the August 19-20, 2021 auction.

Among the most important ancient Roman coins, Brutus' EID MAR coins are the only Roman ones to openly celebrate a murder. The August Heritage sale includes an EID MAR Silver Denarius graded NGC Ancients XF, 4/5 Strike and 3/5 Surface with a notation of bankers' marks (lot 33047) with an estimate of $400,000 to $500,000. Only about 100 of these highly sought-after rarities are known.

Roman Imperatorial, Marcus Junius Brutus (died 42 B.C.) EID MAR Silver Denarius graded NGC Ancients XF, 4/5 Strike and 3/5 Surface with a notation of bankers' marks Click images to enlarge.

The EID MAR’s iconic design, with two daggers and a liberty cap on its reverse, celebrates the assassination of Julius Caesar. The infamous killing on the Ides of March (March 15) in 44 B.C. shaped the history of the Western world. Brutus fled Rome and later raised an army with fellow assassin Cassius to battle Caesar's successors, Octavian and Marc Antony.

Roman military commanders frequently minted their own coins, sometimes in mint workshops that traveled with the army. They often used these coins as a means of propaganda, or to commemorate significant victories. In the case of Brutus, he issued gold aurei and silver denarii commemorating the assassination of Julius Caesar.

The EID MAR silver denarius was meant to remind soldiers that they fought for the Roman Republic, the traditional form of government which Julius Caesar had threatened. The message was intended to convey that on the Ides of March, Brutus set the Romans free. However, Brutus’ EID MAR coinage boldly features his own image, which is ironic because Caesar had done the same thing, reinforcing fears that he wished to rule as a king.

The second Brutus coin in the August auction also was used also to pay his soldiers. The Gold Aureus graded NGC Ancients Ch F★, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface (lot 32003) is one of fewer than ten known to exist. This one earned NGC's Star Designation for exceptional eye appeal and has an estimate of $150,000 to $200,000.

Roman Imperatorial, Brutus (d. 42 B.C.) Gold Aureus graded NGC Ancients Ch F★, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface Click images to enlarge.

One side of this incredible issue shows Brutus, while the other features the man he regarded as an early ancestor, Lucius Junius Brutus, one of the first Consuls of the Republic nearly 500 years earlier. The portraits are enclosed by the “corona civica” — an honor bestowed for displaying patriotism by saving lives in battle or by rescuing the Republic itself.

Ultimately, Octavian and Marc Antony prevailed at the Battle of Philippi in 42 B.C., prompting Brutus and Cassius to commit suicide. A dozen years later, Octavian emerged as the victor in a civil war with Marc Antony and subsequently established the Roman Empire.

Other NGC Ancients-certified rarities in the Heritage Auctions sale include:

• a Sicily, Syracuse circa 405-370 B.C. Silver Decadrachm graded NGC Ancients Ch AU, 5/5 Strike and 3/5 Surface with Fine Style (lot 33002) with an estimate of $80,000 to $120,000
• a Romano-Gallic Empire, Victorinus (A.D. 269-271) Gold Aureus graded NGC Ancients Ch AU★, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface with Fine Style (lot 33100) with an estimate of $80,000 to $100,000
• a Roman Imperatorial, Athens (38 B.C.) Marc Antony and Octavia Gold Aureus graded NGC Ancients Ch VF, 4/5 Strike and 3/5 Surface (lot 32005) with an estimate of $75,000 to $100,000
• a Roman Empire, Vitellius (A.D. 69) Gold Aureus graded NGC Ancients Ch XF, 5/5 Strike and 3/5 Surface (lot 32027) with an estimate of $65,000 to $75,000
• a Roman Imperatorial, circa 46 B.C. Julius Caesar (d. 44 B.C.) Gold Aureus graded NGC Ancients MS★, 5/5 Strike and 5/5 Surface (lot 33041) with an estimate of $55,000 to $65,000
• a Roman Imperatorial, Cassius (42 B.C.) Gold Aureus graded NGC Ancients Ch AU, 5/5 Strike and 2/5 Surface (lot 32004) with an estimate of $50,000 to $60,000
• a Mysia, Pergamum (after 334 B.C.) Gold Stater graded NGC Ancients Ch MS, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface (lot 33018) with an estimate of $50,000 to $75,000
• a Roman Empire, Octavian (circa 30-29 B.C.) Gold Aureus graded NGC Ancients Ch AU, 5/5 Strike and 3/5 Surface (lot 32006) with an estimate of $50,000 to $75,000
• a Roman Empire, Carinus (A.D. 283-285) Gold Aureus graded NGC Ancients Ch MS, 5/5 Strike and 4/5 Surface (lot 32073) with an estimate of $50,000 to $70,000

Related Links:

• NGC Ancients Certifies Fabled 'EID MAR' Aureus of Brutus
• A New World Record! NGC Ancients-certified EID MAR Aureus Realizes Nearly $4.2 Million at Auction
• NGC Ancients: Caesar and Brutus - A Brief Survey