 | An ‘Ides of March’ aureus is one of three known. It was discovered in a private European collection. The coin was previously unrecorded. It is in mint condition and has been described as “the undisputed masterpiece of ancient coinage.” |  |
 | About 100 silver examples are known to exist. There were two in gold; the first is in the British Museum on loan (It subsequently sold for $2.2m in May 2022) and the second is in the Deutsche Bundesbank collection. The new example made $3.5m in 2020. In October of 42 B.C., months after the coins were struck, Brutus and Cassius were routed by Marc Anthony and Octavian’s forces and died in the Battles of Philippi. Their coins were outlawed and few survived. |
