lordmarcovan Posted June 23 · Member Share Posted June 23 (edited) Well, at long last, after coming up short time and time again at auction, I finally won my desired Julius Caesar denarius, for €300 below my max bid. It checks off all my major criteria. Lifetime issue from 44 BC? ✅ Caesar's name clear on the flan? ✅ (his titles are there too) Decent portrait? ✅ No major problems apparent? ✅ Fine or better? ✅ OK, so it's got a somewhat irregular flan- some might even say "ragged"- but I can definitely live with that. Oh, and there’s a banker’s mark, too. But that’s not an issue, as far as I’m concerned. Now I lack only Vitellius to complete my Twelve Caesars collection. 😃 I won it in Elsen Auction 159, Lot 278. . Edited June 23 by lordmarcovan 29 4 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kali Posted June 23 · Member Share Posted June 23 It's a fantastic addition. Nice portrait and I am impressed most of the legend is intact. I've always had a small love for ragged flans. They're sorta like the raggedy/ugly dog at the kennel no one wants, but then a special someone sees the dogs and it's love at first sight. The raggedy dog will still give the love and affection as a dog show-ready mutt will. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
expat Posted June 23 · Supporter Share Posted June 23 Well done @lordmarcovan that is a great new acquisition. I have seen the type once before but Venus and Victory were not as well preserved as yours. 2 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambr0zie Posted June 23 · Member Share Posted June 23 The coin is perfect for a 12 Caesars set. Caesar's name, portrait, attribution is 100% sure. The only thing I don't like is ... neah, not the flan or the aspect. I don't like the price 😐 and it's not a surprise - if I ever have the desire to add a "pure" JC coin, well, this will be trouble. Vitellius is not that complicated - unless you want something XF or better. I am sure you will find a good example without breaking the bank. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordmarcovan Posted June 23 · Member Author Share Posted June 23 26 minutes ago, ambr0zie said: The coin is perfect for a 12 Caesars set. Caesar's name, portrait, attribution is 100% sure. The only thing I don't like is ... neah, not the flan or the aspect. I don't like the price 😐 and it's not a surprise - if I ever have the desire to add a "pure" JC coin, well, this will be trouble. Vitellius is not that complicated - unless you want something XF or better. I am sure you will find a good example without breaking the bank. Price and budgetary limitations were, alas, the major obstacle here. Particularly within those criteria I had set. But I had to make a reality check and step up my game after getting drubbed time and time again at auction (and finding everything at fixed price that met my criteria way outside my reach and often overpriced as well). So I resigned myself to spending some money to get what I wanted, which was a respectable midrange example that was not too wretched or ugly but also not too nice and astronomically priced. Given what these have been fetching nowadays, I think I did OK. I was prepared to go up to €300 higher. i suppose I could have gotten a Caesar “elephant” or “Venus head” type for less, but those don’t have his portrait. And I didn’t want a posthumous coin. I wanted one from just before the Ides of March. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ominus1 Posted June 23 · Supporter Share Posted June 23 ...wow melord...that's NICE!! ^^ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtisimo Posted June 23 · Supporter Share Posted June 23 Fantastic example Rob. Congratulations! For me, winning my Julius Caesar example was the most exciting of my 12 Caesars wins so far. Here is mine with the same portrait design as yours. 🙂 Roman Imperitorial Julius Caesar, 49-44 BC. AR Denarius (Lifetime Portrait), P. Sepullius Macer (moneyer), Rome mint, struck first half of March 44 BC (17 mm, 3.53 g, 4 h) Obv.: CAESAR [DIC]T PERPETVO Laureate and veiled head of Julius Caesar to right. Rev.: P•SEPVLLIVS - MACER Venus standing front, head lowered to left, holding Victory in her right hand and long scepter adorned with star in her left; to right, round shield set on the ground. Ref.: Babelon (Julia) 49 and (Sepullia) 4, Crawford 480/11, CRI 107b, RBW 1684, Sydenham 1072 Ex Seaby’s Coin & Medal Bulletin (January 1976), lot A51; Ex Seaby’s Coin & Medal Bulletin (December 1976), lot C541; Ex Münzhandlung Ritter Lagerliste no. 19, lot 327 (November 1983); Ex Collection formed in the Rhineland, Leu Numismatik Web Auction 24, lot 496 (Dec. 3, 2022) 16 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPK Posted June 23 · Supporter Share Posted June 23 Great coin @lordmarcovan, congratulations! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Octavius Posted June 23 · Supporter Share Posted June 23 Very, very, very nice! That's one fantastic and extremely historical coin. I love it. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AETHER Posted June 23 · Member Share Posted June 23 Beautiful! Maybe I should $ave. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayAg47 Posted June 24 · Member Share Posted June 24 That’s a fine addition! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AncientJoe Posted June 24 · Member Share Posted June 24 Congrats, Rob!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alegandron Posted June 25 · Supporter Share Posted June 25 Wow! Congrats @lordmarcovan ! I think you got the same version as mine… issued 2weeks before his Execution… Roman Imperiatorial Julius Caesar Lifetime P Sepullius Macer AR Denarius, 1st 2 weeks-Mar 44 BCE, 19 mm, 4.03g. Obv: CAESAR – DICT PERPETVO Veiled and wreathed head of Caesar R. Rev: P·SEPVLLIVS – MACER Venus standing l., holding Victory and sceptre resting on star. Ref: Syd 1074a Sear Imperators 107e Crawford 480-14 Rare - minted in last two weeks of his reign, or two weeks before he was assassinated. - veiled, as he held the offce of Pontifex Maximus for several years, and that office was very important to him personally. - wreathed... just short of being king... big no-no - DICT PERPETVO - yeah, he was a king... so Roman Republic inherently and culturally hated kings. - fairly difficult to capture with the star on reverse - reasonably centered with most/all devices and legends (this is not as important to me cuz its numismatic vs the intrinsic Historical impact.) Alföldi arranges Crawford 480 series coins in (44 BC) month order as follows: RRC 480/1, Buca - January RRC 480/2, DICT QVART - early February RRC 480/3/4/5, CAESAR IMP - late February RRC 480/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14, DICT PERPETVO - early to mid March RRC 480/17/18, CAESAR IMPER - late March RRC 480/19/20, PARENS PATRIAE - April RRC 480/15/16, MARIDIANVS - April RRC 480/21/22, CLEMENTIAE CAESARIS and Mark Antony - April 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caesar_was_not_a_tyrant Posted June 28 · Member Share Posted June 28 @lordmarcovan Congratulations on your purchase of this incredible and historic coin. Here is my example of the same type. It is not without fault but it checked all of the boxes for me. Attractive portrait Full legends No major damage on the actual portrait. Lifetime No major issues I am passionate about late Republican history and primarily collect that area. This coin is my most historically important coin (hard to get more important than this) and the centerpiece of my collection. It is surreal to own such an important piece of history! Welcome to the club! I also find the veiled type to be more historically interesting than the non-veiled version. In addition to promoting Caesar as the Pontifex Maximus, it is a continuation of Caesar associating himself with the mythical founding of the Republic. A veiled head was a sign of pietas towards the gods, hence why priests veiled their heads while sacrificing. The mythical tradition was that this practice was brought by Aeneas to Italy (Aeneas on the Ara Pacis). Caesar had previously directly associated himself with Aeneas on Crawford 458; the reverse depicting the mythical scene of Aeneas carrying his father and the palladium with a massive "CAESAR" vertically next to it. Of course claiming descent from Venus and her frequent inclusion on his coinage also associated Caesar with Aeneas and Rome's mythical founding. 3 1 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordmarcovan Posted June 28 · Member Author Share Posted June 28 13 hours ago, Caesar_was_not_a_tyrant said: @lordmarcovan Congratulations on your purchase of this incredible and historic coin. Here is my example of the same type. It is not without fault but it checked all of the boxes for me. Attractive portrait Full legends No major damage on the actual portrait. Lifetime No major issues I am passionate about late Republican history and primarily collect that area. This coin is my most historically important coin (hard to get more important than this) and the centerpiece of my collection. It is surreal to own such an important piece of history! Welcome to the club! I also find the veiled type to be more historically interesting than the non-veiled version. In addition to promoting Caesar as the Pontifex Maximus, it is a continuation of Caesar associating himself with the mythical founding of the Republic. A veiled head was a sign of pietas towards the gods, hence why priests veiled their heads while sacrificing. The mythical tradition was that this practice was brought by Aeneas to Italy (Aeneas on the Ara Pacis). Caesar had previously directly associated himself with Aeneas on Crawford 458; the reverse depicting the mythical scene of Aeneas carrying his father and the palladium with a massive "CAESAR" vertically next to it. Of course claiming descent from Venus and her frequent inclusion on his coinage also associated Caesar with Aeneas and Rome's mythical founding. Thank you for the backstory, particularly about the veiled portraits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qcumbor Posted June 28 · Supporter Share Posted June 28 Excellent addition, and a lifetime issue to boot, congrats ! Q Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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