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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Roman Coins| ▸ |The Imperators| ▸ |Julius Caesar||View Options:   | | | Gaius Julius Caesar is one of the most famous men in history. At the end of his brilliant military and political career, he had gained control of the Roman state. His puppet senate heaped more and more honors upon him. In February 44 B.C. the senate named him dictator for life. Many senators, however, feared that he wished to become king, ending the Republic. On the 15th of March 44 B.C., 63 senators attacked him with knives they had hidden in the folds of their togas. This most famous of assassinations plunged the Roman Republic into 17 years of civil war, after which it would re-emerge as the Roman Empire. |
"The coin that killed Caesar." This coin declares Caesar is "Dictator for Life." He did serve as Dictator for the remainder of his life, but his life would end only days or weeks after this coin was struck. For Caesar to put his image on coins and essentially declare himself king was too much for Brutus and his republican allies. This type (and other similar types) is sometimes called "the coin that killed Caesar."SH58581. Silver denarius, Crawford 480/6, Sydenham 1063, Sear CRI 103, RSC I 25, F, banker's mark on reverse, weight 2.910 g, maximum diameter 18.0 mm, die axis 270o, Rome mint, moneyer L. Aemilius Buca, Feb - Mar 44 B.C.; obverse CAESAR DICT PERPETVO, laureate head of Caesar right; reverse L · BVCA, winged caduceus and fasces crossed en saltire, globe, inscription, clasped hands, and ax in the angles; ex VAuctions, sale 213, lot 63; scarce; SOLD
On 26 November 43 B.C. Octavian, Antony and Lepidus agreed to a five-year autocratic pact, the Second Triumvirate. In October 42 B.C. the Republican army was defeated by the legions Antony and Octavian at Philippi. Brutus committed suicide on 28 October. The Republican cause was crushed; Rome rested in the hands of the Second Triumvirate. The rudder and globe are symbolic of Caesar's mastery of land and sea, the apex a reminder of his piety as Pontifex Maximus, and the cornucopia and caduceus were symbolic of the prosperity and happiness that Caesar had provided to the Roman people.SH72678. Silver denarius, BMCRR I Rome 4237, Crawford 494/39a, Sydenham 1096a (R4), RSC I Julius Caesar 29, Cohen 29 (12 Fr.), Sear CRI 116, SRCV I 1426, aF, toned, banker's marks, obverse slightly off-center, weight 4.053 g, maximum diameter 18.3 mm, die axis 0o, Rome mint, posthumous, 43 or 42 B.C.; obverse wreathed head of Julius Caesar right; reverse L MVSSIDIVS LONGVS (moneyer) above and downward on right, cornucopia on globe, rudder on left, winged caduceus and apex (priestly hat) on right; scarce; SOLD
| Minted after his invasion of Italy and crossing of the Rubicon on 10 January 49 B.C. until his defeat of Pompey at Pharsalus, this was the first coin type issued in Caesar's name. The elephant was the symbol of the Caesar family. According to legend, an ancestor received the name Caesar after single-handedly killing an elephant, probably in North Africa during the First Punic War, and "Caesai" was the name for elephant in the local Punic language. The obverse was long described as an elephant trampling a snake, symbolizing good triumphing over evil. For the Romans, however, the snake was a symbol of healing, not evil. The image to the right (click it to see a larger photo) is ornamentation on the side of the Gundestrup cauldron (c. 150 - 1 B.C.) depicting three Celtic warriors sounding their carnyx war trumpets. Clearly, Caesar's elephant is trampling a carnyx and the obverse symbolizes Caesar's victory over the Celtic tribes of Gaul. The reverse refers to Caesar's office of Pontifex Maximus, the high priest of Rome, a title now held by the Pope. |  |
"The coin that killed Caesar." This coin declares Caesar is "Dictator for Life." He did serve as Dictator for the remainder of his life, but his life would end only weeks into this issue. For Caesar to put his image on coins and essentially declare himself king was too much for Brutus and his republican allies. This coin (along with other similar types) is sometimes called "the coin that killed Caesar." Minted for Caesar's planned Parthian war, this type was often carelessly struck indicating the mint was working under great pressure.SH14071. Silver denarius, Crawford 480/8, Sydenham 1061, BMCRR Rome 4154, RSC I 23, Sear CRI 105, SRCV I 1411, F, weight 3.280 g, maximum diameter 19.6 mm, die axis 180o, Rome mint, L. Buca, moneyer, Feb - Mar 44 B.C.; obverse CAESAR DICT PERPETVO, wreathed head of Caesar right; reverse L BVCA, Venus standing left, Victory in right hand, long scepter vertical in left hand; flat strike areas, banker's marks; SOLD
| Minted after his invasion of Italy and crossing of the Rubicon on 10 January 49 B.C. until his defeat of Pompey at Pharsalus, this was the first coin type issued in Caesar's name. The elephant was the symbol of the Caesar family. According to legend, an ancestor received the name Caesar after single-handedly killing an elephant, probably in North Africa during the First Punic War, and "Caesai" was the name for elephant in the local Punic language. The obverse was long described as an elephant trampling a snake, symbolizing good triumphing over evil. For the Romans, however, the snake was a symbol of healing, not evil. The image to the right (click it to see a larger photo) is ornamentation on the side of the Gundestrup cauldron (c. 150 - 1 B.C.) depicting three Celtic warriors sounding their carnyx war trumpets. Clearly, Caesar's elephant is trampling a carnyx and the obverse symbolizes Caesar's victory over the Celtic tribes of Gaul. The reverse refers to Caesar's office of Pontifex Maximus, the high priest of Rome, a title now held by the Pope. | |
| Minted after his invasion of Italy and crossing of the Rubicon on 10 January 49 B.C. until his defeat of Pompey at Pharsalus, this was the first coin type issued in Caesar's name. The elephant was the symbol of the Caesar family. According to legend, an ancestor received the name Caesar after single-handedly killing an elephant, probably in North Africa during the First Punic War, and "Caesai" was the name for elephant in the local Punic language. The obverse was long described as an elephant trampling a snake, symbolizing good triumphing over evil. For the Romans, however, the snake was a symbol of healing, not evil. The image to the right (click it to see a larger photo) is ornamentation on the side of the Gundestrup cauldron (c. 150 - 1 B.C.) depicting three Celtic warriors sounding their carnyx war trumpets. Clearly, Caesar's elephant is trampling a carnyx and the obverse symbolizes Caesar's victory over the Celtic tribes of Gaul. The reverse refers to Caesar's office of Pontifex Maximus, the high priest of Rome, a title now held by the Pope. | |
Julius Caesar, Imperator and Dictator, October 49 - 15 March 44 B.C., Nicaea, Bithynia
Minted in Nicaea in 47 - 46 B.C., this was the first coin type to feature Julius Caesar's portrait. It was struck by the proconsul Gaius Vibius Pansa, who had been part of the Caesarian faction at Rome, and who probably owed his proconsulship to his patron. During Caesar's lifetime, only three provincial mints struck coins with his portrait: Nicaea, Bithynia; Lampsacus, Mysia; and Corinth, Greece. The first coins struck in Rome with a portrait of Caesar were denarii minted by M. Mettius in January 44 B.C.GB71357. Bronze AE 22, RPC I 2026; Rec Gen I.2, 11; BMC Pontus p. 153, 8; SNGvA 535; SNG Cop -, aF, grainy, porous, weight 6.976 g, maximum diameter 22.2 mm, die axis 0o, Nicaea (Iznik, Turkey) mint, Gaius Vibius Pansa, proconsul, 47 - 46 B.C.; obverse NIKAIEΩN, bare head of Julius Caesar right; reverse EΠI ΓAIOY OYIBIOY ΠANΣA, Nike advancing right, raising wreath in extended right hand, palm frond over shoulder in left, monograms inner right and lower left, CΛΣ (year 236) in exergue; rare; SOLD
This is a scarcer variety of the type with the elephant's legs parallel and a human-like ear, attributed to Spain. The engravers were apparently unfamiliar with elephants. The round ear may indicate the elephant depicted is a North African Forest Elephant. The lower portion of modern elephant's ears have a distinctly triangular shape. The North African Forest Elephant species is thought to have become extinct around the 1st or 2nd century A.D. If the Romans used them in the Colosseum and other games, it would go some way to explain their extinction around that time. A hippopotamus species from Lower Egypt and a lion species from Mesopotamia are also suspected to have been butchered to extinction in Roman games.SH48302. Silver denarius, BMCRR Gaul 27 (also with human-like ear), Russo RBW 1557 (same), RSC I 49, Sydenham 1006, Crawford 443/1, Sear CRI 9, SRCV I 1399, EF, attractive toning, weight 3.897 g, maximum diameter 17.7 mm, die axis 225o, Spain, traveling military mint, traveling with Caesar, 49 B.C.; obverse elephant walking right trampling on a carnyx (Celtic war trumpet) ornamented to look like a dragon, CAESAR below; reverse implements of the pontificate: culullus (cup) or simpulum (ladle), aspergillum (sprinkler), securis (sacrificial ax), and apex (priest's hat); from the Scott Schaut Collection; SOLD
The numeral on the obverse indicates Caesar's age when this coin was minted, a unique occurrence in Roman numismatics.SH48922. Silver denarius, Crawford 452/2, Sydenham 1009, BMCRR 3955, RSC I 18, Sear CRI 11, SRCV I 1400, gVF, minor roughness, crack, weight 3.680 g, maximum diameter 19.6 mm, die axis 0o, Greek mint, 48 B.C.; obverse female head right, wearing oak wreath, necklace, jewel before ear, and cruciform earring, hair in jeweled knot behind with falling locks, LII (52) behind; reverse CAESAR at base of draped trophy of Gallic arms (shield decorated with fulmen (thunderbolt), horned helmet and carnyx), axe topped by wolf head right; rainbow toned, struck by a military mint moving with Caesar, probably in Illyria; SOLD
This issue was minted to pay for Caesar's military operation against the Pompeians in North Africa. The campaign ended with the dictator's victory at Thapsus on 6 April 46 B.C. The reverse depicts Aeneas carrying his father and the palladium away from burning Troy and refers to the mythical descent of the Julia gens from Iulus, the son of Aeneas.SH58585. Silver denarius, Crawford 458/1, RSC I 12, Sydenham 1013, BMCRR East 31, SRCV I 1402, gVF, light toning over luster, weight 3.761 g, maximum diameter 17.4 mm, die axis 180o, North Africa mint, 47 - 46 B.C.; obverse diademed head of Venus right, wearing necklace, hair rolled back, in a knot behind, two locks down neck; reverse CAESAR, Aeneas walking left, nude, carrying his father, Anchises, on his left shoulder, palladium in right hand; SOLD
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