Crawford 506/2 M.BRVTVS IMP(M. Iunius Brutus; L.Pedamius Costa), Denar 43/42 B.C.

M.BRVTVS IMP(M. Iunius Brutus, L.Pedamius Costa), Denar 43/42 B.C. Military mint travelling with Brutus in in western Asia Minor or northern Greece.

Obverse: Laureate head of Apollo right, COSTA LEG around

Reverse: Trophy composed of cuirass, crested helmet, oval shield with incurved sides, and two crossed spears, IMP BRVTVS around.

3,46 Gramm

Sear 1436, Crawford 506/2, Albert 1535

Die estimation by Crawford: Obvers <30, Revers <33

ex. Portuscalle Numismatica, Auction 28, 16.03.2025

"Brutus is best known for his role in the assassination of Julius Caesar on March 15, 44 BC. This action, while often thought as an attempt to save liberty and justice, was actually meant to try to preserve aristocracy and privilege. Brutus and the other conspirators wanted to restore power to the Senate, comprised of the wealthiest and most powerful of Roman citizens. This brought him in conflict with Julius Caesar, who wanted to break the old power holds in the Senate, populating it with men of lower rank and birth. In a way, Julius Caesar could be seen as promoting a dictatorship with some flavor of a democracy, whereas Brutus and the other conspirators were attempting to save the aristocracy.
After his assassination of Julius Caesar, Brutus and Cassius occupied Rome, but had to flee when a funeral oration delivered by Caesar's protégé, Marc Antony, turned public opinion against them. Brutus and Cassius went their separate ways, but met again in early 42 BC in Smyrna, Ionia, where they began preparations for the inevitable conflict that would ensue between them and Marc Antony and Octavian, Caesar's grandnephew. They began using their armies to conquer cities, for which this series of coins was undoubtedly issued. The title IMP on the reverse shows that Brutus still styled himself the savior of the Republic, as that was a title only the Senate could award" (CNG Text)

Collection : Roman Republic + Imperatorial