Gold coin ‘worn by Caesar’s assassin’ to go on display at British Museum
March 15th, 2010 - 5:01 pm ICT by ANILondon15 (ANI): A gold coin emblematic of Julius Caesar’s assassination is to be showcased at the British Museum to mark the 2054th anniversary of the Roman emperor’s death.
It shows the head of Brutus on one side, while two daggers and the date, ‘Eid Mar’, the Ides of March is etched on the other.
Seemingly, Brutus had issued the coin after Caeser was murdered.
The coin has a hole at the top, hinting it may have been worn by one of Caesar’s assassin.
Caesar had been stabbed 23 times at the Roman Senate in 44BC.
Cassius Dio, the Roman historian, wrote of the coins in the second century AD: “Brutus stamped upon the coins which were being minted in his own likeness and a cap and two daggers, indicating by this and by the inscription that he and Cassius had liberated the fatherland.”
The British Museum, which saw it in 1932, could not buy the artefact then, reports the Telegraph.
However, they have been able to exhibit it through a loan from a private collector. (ANI)
- Memento For Killing Julius Caesar Goes On Display On Ides Of March - Mar 16, 2010
- Coin Representing Julius Caesar's Killer Goes On Display On Ides Of March - Mar 15, 2010
- Cleopatra died from lethal drug cocktail - Jun 30, 2010
- Charles Dickens coin to mark his 200 birth anniversary - Dec 07, 2011
- 52,000 Roman coins discovered in England - Jul 12, 2010
- Archaeologists find new clues that may uncover Cleopatra and Antony's tombs - Apr 17, 2009
- Hoard of Roman coins discovered - Mar 23, 2012
- Did Libya witness biggest theft in archaeological history? - Oct 31, 2011
- Bust of Julius Caesar recovered from Rhone River on display at exhibition in France - Nov 07, 2009
- Rare US gold coins found in a garden in London - Oct 19, 2010
- Are green-eyed Chinese descendants of lost Roman legion? - Nov 26, 2010
- Rare US Gold Coins Found In London Garden - Oct 19, 2010
- Swiss museum to return 4,000-year-old relic to Egypt - May 13, 2011
- 1800 B.C. artefacts found in Syria - May 30, 2010
- Ancient Roman oil lamp factory town found in Italy - Dec 07, 2008
Tags: anniversary, artefact, assassin, british museum, brutus, cassius dio, coins, daggers, eid, fatherland, gold coin, ides of march, julius caesar, likeness, private collector, roman emperor, roman historian, roman senate, telegraph