An iconic ancient coin tied to a historically significant assassination realized $720,000 US (about $972,000 Cdn.), including buyer’s premium, at a Texas auction this May.
“The significance of this coin is impossible to overstate,” said Cris Bierrenbach, the executive vice-president of international numismatics at Heritage Auctions, which conducted the sale of the infamous “Eid Mar” coin. “It is the only Roman coin to mention a specific date and the only Roman coin to openly celebrate an act of murder. In addition, this magnificent coin has been a part of some of the most significant coin collections of the last century, including those of Peter Weller, Nelson Bunker Hunt and Sy Weintraub, which plays a significant part in the surging interest and demand.”
It sold as Lot 30051 of Heritage Auctions’ May 3-5 Central States Numismatic Society World Coins Platinum and Signature Auction.
The 19-millimetre, 3.72-gram denarius was certified as Extremely Fine “5/5 – 4/5” by the Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC), which added its “Fine Style” designation. It marked the only certified example to come to auction with an NGC Fine Style designation.
The Eid Mar type topped a 2008 vote by numismatists as the greatest of the top 100 ancient coins.