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 Replies: 11 / Views: 2,739 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6130 Posts |
The coin that changed the course of Western civilization! Julius Caesar AR Denarius February-March 15, 44 BC Laureate head of Caesar right in priest's veil, CAESAR DICT PERPETVO Venus Verticordia standing left, holding Victory and staff set on shield, P SEPVLLIVS MACER Crawford 480  I won't go into too much detail on the man behind this coin, as there are many, many books written about him already. In either late January or mid-February of 44 BC, the Senate conferred the unprecedented title of Dictator Perpetuo to Julius Caesar, allowing him to keep the office of Dictator without requiring further approval from the Senate. Concerned factions feared he sought to establish a new Roman monarchy with himself as king, and the placing of his image on coinage beginning in 44 BC seemed to confirm this. On March 15, 44 BC, Caesar was coaxed from his home to address the Senate... |
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Moderator
 United States
34428 Posts |
Lots of honest wear, but an iconic pick-up. Congrats!
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7066 Posts |
Yeah, a lot of history in this one. Neat pick-up.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1269 Posts |
Great catch! Any portrait denarius of Julius Caesar is a good denarius of Julius Caesar. A "dict perpetuo" is definitely on my list.
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Moderator
United States
23731 Posts |
Now that's a nice piece of history.
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Pillar of the Community
Belgium
1194 Posts |
This coin is difficult to date exactly ,before or after his death .
The veiled head of Caesar can indicate his function as pontifex maximus or indicate he is dead and then it is a posthumous coin .So there are coins with the portrets of Sulla or Pompeius emitted after their death .
The title dictator perpetuus was given to Caesar a few weeks before his murder , beginning 44 he was dictator IIII , for the fourth time .The function of dictator was an official function in the Roman Republic , we can not compare it with the sense we give now at that word . For the Romans , it was limited in time and only given in special circumstances . This period was very special and it was a way for Caesar to take power , but to early , as Augustus understoot later . albert
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
6130 Posts |
Thanks all.
It is a little more worn than I was hoping for, but I saw it in a CNG lot, and amazingly won the whole lot on a lowball bid. I won't break even by selling the other coins, but I am hoping to come close. Caesar portrait denarii are not coins you can afford to be picky on, unless your budget allows you to drop $3k-20k on a single coin.
@ Albert, my understanding is that the DICT PERPETVO series must have been made during his final weeks, as a dead man cannot be dictator.
You also raise a good point - it is important to make the distinction, as the connotation of "dictator" (just like "tyrant" for the Greeks) has changed over the past two millennia. In the Roman times, the Dictator could circumvent the Senate and their bureaucratic inefficiency, but was required to relinquish the post. Caesar's fatal error was trying to hold that position; Augustus found his loophole by rewriting Roman law to allow one man to hold the offices of consul, Pontifex Maximus, tribune, and Imperator simultaneously. It only took a few decades for all former Republican senators etc to die off, and nobody remembered the old ways.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3443 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1269 Posts |
Finn,
was that the lot with 3-4 denarii of JC including a couple of posthumous issues and a fourree? If so, I thought about bidding on that one too. I thought it was an interesting lot.
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Pillar of the Community
Belgium
1194 Posts |
Your denarius is Crawford 480/9,10,11,12,13 or 14 .Impossible to see the differences here .Mintmaster Publius Sepullius Macer .
Normally , the inscription on the obverse is in the nominative , here it is the dative (to Caesar) or the ablative ( by Caesar) .
A veiled head can be the representation of the pontifex maximus (as Caesar was) or can indicate a posthumous coin ( see coins of Constantine I the Great ) .
In the serie Crawford 480 for the year 44, there are 22 different denarii , beginning with dictator quartus , then imperator and then with Caesari (dative)or Caesare (ablative)dictatori(e) perpetuo ,CRawford nr 6 to nr 16 .Cr 481 and 482 are also Caesar coins for the same year and there are still other denarii for that year .
This and other reasons ( style ...) decided Alföldi and others to this possibility .
AS usual , once their is a different opinion , everybody thinks to be right . albert
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
3098 Posts |
It is worn, but has a clear and distinct obverse legend. With a coin like this, and of this importance, that seems, to me, to be the most important thing.
A very nice coin to add to your collection.
Paul Bulgerin
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6130 Posts |
Sorry I'm just now getting back to this. @orfew, the coin is indeed from that lot. For interest's sake, here are the others: Posthumous, Mussidius Longus  (I had some uneasy feelings about this coin, but then I realized that this one is example #4 on Wildwinds! http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/sear5/s1426.t.htmlPosthumous, Livineius Regulus  Haven't gotten good pics of the fourree yet, but it's a complete cull. All four mention on their old 2x2s that they were previously certified by David Sear. I reached out to him via email, and he is graciously checking his records for me. Should hear back in a couple days. |
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Replies: 11 / Views: 2,739 |
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Posted 08/04/2018 12:55 pm
