On December 9, an ancient Roman coin featuring the portrait of Brutus – a close general and the mastermind behind the assassination of Emperor Julius Caesar – was sold for a record price of €1.98 million at an auction in Geneva, Switzerland.
According to a statement from Numismatica Genevensis, this historical coin was purchased by a European collector amidst fierce competition among eight online bidders. The final price exceeded €1.98 million (equivalent to $2.09 million), far surpassing the starting bid of €800,000.
Rare ancient coin sold for nearly 2 million Euros. (Source: AFP).
According to Frank Baldacci, the Director of Numismatica Genevensis, the coin weighs 8 grams and is similar in size to a Euro coin. It is described as “a piece of history” marking the final phase of the Roman Republic.
The coin was minted by General Brutus and his allies around 43-42 BC, just a few years after Julius Caesar’s assassination in March 44 BC.
The front of the coin features a portrait of Brutus encircled by a laurel wreath – a symbol of victory and power; the reverse side displays war symbols to honor his military victories.
Baldacci noted that the laurel wreath not only signifies victory but also reflects Brutus’s ambition to promote his image and authority as a leader.
This coin first appeared in the 1950s in a private collection and was later auctioned in Zurich in 2006 for 360,000 Swiss Francs. According to Numismatica Genevensis, only 17 coins of this type exist in the world today.
