#numismatica ars classica

The gold Eid Mar (Ides of March) Coin,

Called the Eid Mar, the coin was minted by Caesar’s betrayer, Marcus Junius Brutus, to commemorate the assassination immortalized by Shakespeare. It was carried out on March 15, 44 BC —the Ides of March—by a group of Roman senators and co-conspirators led by Brutus and is the only one of its type.

One side of the coin shows an inscription that reads “EID MAR” short for Eidibus Martiis, the Ides of March, along with two daggers and a liberty cap symbolizing the fight for freedom.

The other side of the coin features a portrait of Brutus with the inscription “BRVT IMP” or Brutus, Imperator.

The coin has a tiny hole in it just above the head of Brutus. It is believed that it could have been worn by a high-ranking supporter and perhaps even one of the conspirators of Caesar’s murder.

Courtesy Numismatica Ars Classica