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Coin of the Month: Brutus Eid Mar
With the very first metal coin currency being traced all the way back to 2000 BCE in Babylon, there have since been thousands of currencies minted across empires, countries, and ancient civilizations. While it is easy for numismatists to focus their energy on more recent and attainable treasures, there are several notable coins throughout history with significant impact worth exploring.
Each month, join our new Coin of the Month series as we highlight significant and remarkable coins. And what better way to start the series than with the coin Harlan J. Berk ranked as the number one of all ancient coins: the Eid Mar coin, sometimes called the infamous Brutus coin.
The Brutal History of the Eid Mar Coin
Bloody and controversial historical events typically live in infamy rather than open celebration. Such is not the case with the Eid Mar coin, otherwise known as the Ides of March coin.
Rather than shy away from his actions following the infamous stabbing and killing of Julius Caesar in 44 BCE, Brutus, one of the two core conspirators in the assassination, forever memorialized the event by crafting this Caesar coin. The intent behind the Ides of March coin was to commemorate what Brutus envisioned as a victory for the Roman Republic, a day he freed the people from tyranny.
A Shocking Coin Design For The Ages
One side of the coin, and a reason for its nickname as the Brutus coin, shows Marcus Brutus in profile with the phrase “BRVT IMP L PLAET CEST.” The first part of the phrase is an abbreviation of Brutus Imperator, while the second half stands for Lucius Plaetorius Cestianus, the moneyer who minted the coin.
In Roman times, it was not common and was even seen as improper to feature the profile of a living person on coinage, although sometimes gods were depicted in the likeness of various rulers. Julius Ceasar notably was the first living person to portray himself on Roman coins, which only added to his reputation as a tyrant. The Brutus EID MAR coin notably features Brutus in profile, imitating the very man whom he helped overthrow. Historians speculate Brutus made this calculated move as a way to jockey for more political power.
On the obverse side of the coin, an image of a hat with a dagger on either side is present alongside the phrase “EID MAR.” The cap represents Caesar, while the two daggers represent the primary assassins and conspirators Brutus and Cassius Longinus.
Eid Mar: A Warning and Celebration
Beneath the dagger design is the notorious phrase “Eid Mar.” This phrase is an abbreviation of the full phrase “Eidibus Martiis,” or the Ides of March. The term forever memorializes March 15th, the day of the assassination.
Everything To Know About the Number One Ancient Coin
As mentioned above, the Brutus Eid Mar Coin earned the number one spot in Harlan J. Berk’s 100 Greatest Ancient Coins. Learn more about the history of this infamous coin below.
A Coin By Many Names
While the Eid Mar coin is the most popular name, this coin goes by many different nicknames as well. More colloquially, this coin is called the Ides of March coin. Meanwhile, due to Brutus’ role in creating the coin and the prominent appearance of his profile, it is also sometimes referred to as the Brutus coin or the Brutus Eid Mar coin. Of course, because of the assassination represented, the term Caesar coin has also stuck around.
When Was the Brutus Coin Made?
The Brutus Eid Mar coin was first minted in 42 BCE.
How Many Eid Mar Coins Are There?
Due to its ancient age, it is hard to know exactly how many coins were minted, but it is estimated that around 100 Caesar coins still exist today in silver, while only three specimens in gold have been verified.
Where Are the Brutus Eid Mar Coins?
A few years after the defeat and deaths of Cassius and Brutus, the new leaders, Octavian and Anthony, issued a recall on the Ides of March coin, making it uncommon and difficult to find today. Due to the recall and high desirability, many Eid Mar coins are currently part of highly prized numismatic collections at organizations such as the British Museum and the Central Bank of the Federal Republic of Germany.
The Eid Mar Coin: A Rare Fortune Up for Auction
Since there are only around one hundred known Silver Eid Mar coins in present society, they hold high appeal among collectors, though the exact price they sell for can fluctuate based on the quality and wear of the coin. According to the New York Times, the Silver Eid Mar Denarius can sell for anywhere from 200,000 to $400,000, although some recent examples in impressive condition have exceeded this range. In May of 2023, a certified silver Eid Mar coin sold for $720,000, which was a new record for the silver version of the coin. Meanwhile, another silver coin went up for auction in August 2023 and sold for 240,000.
The gold versions of the coin, with only three known coins in existence, can be worth even more. In 2020, a gold Eid Mar coin sold for $4.2 million at auction. However, it was later returned to Greece after investigators discovered it was a product of looting, making the sale fraudulent.
Find Your Next Prized Coin
What better way to start the Coin of the Month than with one of the most historically significant and sought-after ancient coins?
While coins with such notorious pasts draw much attention from collectors and history enthusiasts worldwide, there are plenty of more accessible ancient and modern coins for hobbyists to collect. Whether you’re just exploring a newfound interest or a seasoned collector, shopping with a reputable vendor you can trust, such as GovMint.com, is vital. Discover the next treasured addition to your coin collection on our World Coins collections page.
References
https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/eid-mar-denarius-768790
https://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/denarius.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/22/arts/design/rare-coin-returned-greece-eid-mar.html
https://www.coinworld.com/news/world-coins/ides-of-march-coin-from-hunt-collection-comes-to-auction
https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/11645/eid-mar-brutus-caesar/
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