Watch List notes:

Julius Caesar, second half of February, 44 BC. Denarius (Silver, 18mm, 3.48 g 10), with P. Sepullius Macer, Rome. CAESAR IMP Laureate head of Caesar to right; behind head, eight-pointed star. Rev. P SEPVLLIVS MACER Venus standing left, holding Victory in her right hand and long staff resting on star in her left. Alföldi V, 26 (this coin). Babelon (Julia) 46, (Sepullia) 1. Crawford 480/5b. CRI 106a. Sydenham 1071. An attractive, toned example with an elegant portrait. Some minor metal faults, striking flatness and a minor scratch, otherwise, nearly extremely fine.


From the Stoecklin Collection and from the collection of E. J. Haeberlin, Cahn & Hess, Frankfurt, 17 July 1933, 2835.


This coin was struck about a month before Caesar's assassination. K. Kraft first noticed that the wreath worn by Caesar differs significantly from those laurel-wreaths found on earlier types on portraits: for example, those of Venus. Therefore he suggested that it ought to be identified as the golden wreath, which was worn by Caesar at the Lupercalia in 44 BC. M. H. Crawford, however, thought that it was rather the corona aurea that he had been awarded as a triumphator. The same type of wreath had also been voted to Pompey; it has no resemblance to the Etruscan wreaths cited by Kraft.