Roma Numismatics Ltd
Auction XIV 21 Sep 2017
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Q. Servilius Caepio (M. Junius) Brutus AR Denarius. Military mint travelling with Brutus in Asia Minor, 42 BC. L. Sestius, proquaestor. Veiled and draped bust of Libertas right; L•SESTI•PRO•Q around / Tripod between sacrificial axe and simpulum; Q•CAEPIO•BRVTVS•PRO•COS around; all within beaded border. Crawford 502/2; CRI 201; RSC 11. 3.72g, 18mm, 12h.
Extremely Fine.
In marked contrast to later types issued by Brutus on which he followed the shameless personal political advertising of Marc Antony, in this coin we can still see the republican cause clearly. In the use of Libertas as the obverse type we find the Republican championing the freedom of the individual citizen, while on the reverse we have the sacrificial tripod representing Apollo's prophetic powers, with the axe and simpulum referencing Brutus' membership of the college of pontifices. Indeed, aside those that make reference to the campaigns on which Brutus was engaged in Lycia (see lot 551), the reverse types and subsidiary marks across the whole of the series struck for him during his time in Asia Minor highlight the traditional republican institutions of religion and state with such motifs as the Quaestatorial chair (subsellium) and staff (virga viatoris) seen on one very rare quinarius type (Cr. 502/4; CRI 203), this denomination being an unusual addition to an eastern issue.
Extremely Fine.
In marked contrast to later types issued by Brutus on which he followed the shameless personal political advertising of Marc Antony, in this coin we can still see the republican cause clearly. In the use of Libertas as the obverse type we find the Republican championing the freedom of the individual citizen, while on the reverse we have the sacrificial tripod representing Apollo's prophetic powers, with the axe and simpulum referencing Brutus' membership of the college of pontifices. Indeed, aside those that make reference to the campaigns on which Brutus was engaged in Lycia (see lot 551), the reverse types and subsidiary marks across the whole of the series struck for him during his time in Asia Minor highlight the traditional republican institutions of religion and state with such motifs as the Quaestatorial chair (subsellium) and staff (virga viatoris) seen on one very rare quinarius type (Cr. 502/4; CRI 203), this denomination being an unusual addition to an eastern issue.