A gold coin from the first-century B.C.E that features Brutus, the ally and later assassin of Julius Caesar, is anticipated to sell for more than $1.1 million at auction in Switzerland.
The coin is being sold by the Swiss auction house Numismatica Genevensis SA.
Brutus is believed to have orchestrated the famous death of Caesar, who was stabbed in the back during a senate meeting. Much remains a mystery about the conspiracy that led to the famous Roman leader’s death, but at the center of what is known is Brutus.
On the coin is a depiction of Brutus and his name, while the other side has the name of another Roman senator, “CASCA LONGUS,” who was also believed to be involved in the murder of Caesar.
The coin was minted before the assassination of Caesar and is one of 17 known to have survived from the time period.
Despite his more infamous act of killing his ally and leader, Brutus has a long history of being a Roman Praetor, serving in the military, being popular among his soldiers, and being very generous.
Two years after the death of Caesar, Brutus took his own life after a failed battle against Mark Antony, a relative of Caesar’s who took power and rose to emperor after his assassination.
The coin is highly anticipated, with its sale price currently at $1.1 million, though it isn’t expected to break any records.
The record for a single coin at auction is the 1933 Double Eagle coin, which was sold at Sotheby’s in 2021 for $18,872,250.
The record for ancient coins belongs to a 2,000-year-old Greek coin that fetched $6 million in 2023.
As for the coin featuring Brutus, it is one of a set of three that will be auctioned at the Swiss capital’s Beau-Rivage Hotel on Dec. 9 and 10.