Watch List notes:

The Collection of Roman Republican Coins of a Student and his Mentor Part III

M. Aemilius Lepidus with L. Mussidius Longus. Aureus 42, AV 7.97 g. M·LEPIDVS·III·VIR·R·P·C Bare head of Lepidus l. Rev. L·MVSSIDIVS·T – F·LONGVS·IIII·VIR·A·P·F· Mars standing r., wearing Corinthian helmet, holding sword in l. hand and spear in r., and resting l. foot on shield. Babelon Mussidia 10 and Aemilia 38. C 2. Bahrfeldt 50a and pl. VI, 20 (these dies). Buttrey, ANSNNM 137, pl. 7, 50.1. Sear Imperators 161. Calicó 75 (this coin illustrated). Biaggi 58 (this coin). RBW –. Crawford 494/7b.
Of the highest rarity, possibly only the fifth known specimen and the
only one in private hands. A realistic portrait struck
on a very large flan, good very fine / very fine
Ex Leu 25, 1980, 223 and NAC 33, April 2006, 374 sales. From the Chandon de Braille and Biaggi collections.This piece ranks among the finest known portrait aurei of Lepidus, the doomed member of the Second Triumvirate (43-36 B.C.). His powerful colleagues, Marc Antony and Octavian, demonstrated early in their pact that Lepidus was the second- tier member, and they would continually remind him of it throughout the decade that the triumvirate remained intact. From the outset Lepidus was given a subsidiary role: as the brother-in-law of Brutus he was left behind in Italy when Antony and Octavian departed to face Brutus and Cassius at Philippi late in 42 B.C. In the aftermath Lepidus was almost expelled from the triumvirate, but instead he had his sphere of authority reduced to North Africa. Despite the help he offered Octavian in the Perusine War (41-40 B.C.) and in his campaign against Sextus Pompey in 36 B.C., Lepidus was denied the spoils of war. During the latter campaign, Lepidus landed 14 legions in Sicily to support from land the war Octavian was waging at sea against Sextus Pompey. But before a naval victory had been secured for Octavian, Lepidus demanded Sicily be added to his North African territories. Rather than granting his request, Octavian challenged Lepidus, whose legions quickly deserted to Octavian. The humbled triumvir was stripped of all authority except his title pontifex maximus, which he held until his death in exile in 13 or 12 B.C. Though Lepidus had struck coins as a moneyer in 61 B.C., his portrait occurs for the first time on aurei struck at a Gallic mint by Antony in 43 to celebrate the creation of the Second Triumvirate. In the following year, 42, Lepidus' portrait occurs on aurei for the second (and final) time. In this case his aurei were struck at Rome by the moneyers C. Vibius Varus, L. Mussidius Longus, P. Clodius and L. Livineius Regulus.