One of only three known gold examples, the iconic ancient Roman “EID MAR” aureus offered this October at a U.K. auction has set a world record as the most expensive ancient coin.
Certified in Mint-State condition by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation’s (NGC) ancients division, the circa 42 BC coin sold to an unnamed bidder for $4.188 million US (nearly $5.4 million Cdn.).
While Roman senator Marcus Junius Brutus issued about 100 silver “EID MAR” coins in the eastern Mediterranean – likely in northern Greece – only three gold examples are known to exist. They celebrate the murder of Roman dictator Julius Caesar, whose most famous assassin was Brutus, and are “an undisputed masterpiece of ancient coinage,” according to NGC Chair Mark Salzberg, who’s also the firm’s grading finalized.
It crossed the block as Lot 463 of Roma Numismatics’ Oct. 29 sale.