Dr Adrian Carr Collection of Imperatorial Roman Coins

Lot 4774    Session 17 (11.30am Friday 25 November) Terry Naughton Colle    Dr Adrian Carr Collection of Imperatorial Roman Coins

Estimate $750
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $800

M. JUNIUS BRUTUS WITH L. Plaetorius Caestianus, silver denarius, probably an ancient forgery, original struck in Northern Greece c.43-42 B.C., (3.17 g), obv. [BRV]T IMP to right, downwards on left LúPLAETúCEST, bare head of Brutus to right, rev. EIDúMAR Pileus between two daggers, (cf.S.1439, cf.Babelon Junia 52 and Plaetoria 13, cf.Syd 1301, cf.Sear Imperators 216, cf.Cahn, EIDibus MARtiis, Q.Tic. 18, 1989, (dies not listed), cf.Cr.508/3). Flan cuts and some gouges, weakly struck on top of the head, through attempting piercing, edge filed in places, otherwise nearly fine and very rare.

Ex Dr. Adrian Carr Collection and purchased in 2001.
Various communications by Dr. Carr are indicated and expanded below.
It is thought to be a contemporary forgery ie., at the time of Brutus. The coin was definitely a struck coin and not cast and has the weight and silver composition of other military pieces of the time of Brutus. Mapping shows the same alignment of the coin's obverse as a specimen recorded in Foss' book with the prominent epiglottis and thinner neck. This specimen is not from any dies noted by Cahn. The reverse has an interesting map in as much as the dagger on the right is slightly higher than that on the left which is unlike almost all illustrated by Cahn. It needs to be remembered that other military issue coins of the time show the work of some apprentice engravers with mistakes and variations in the dies. The coin was sold to Dr. Carr by its original owner as genuine.
Communication between the original seller and the agent for the coin states; 'the coin from which you bought from my consignor came from a very large collection from Alberta Canada in 1947 and had included many fabulous Roman and Greek rarities including a Carthage Decadrachm for which I bought the coin for $22,000 several years ago. Several Roman coins of Pertinax and P. Niger were in there as well, I own both of them. With the Eid Mar coin, unless I can positively 100% identify it as genuine I cannot sell as genuine.' David Sear said the following: 'The style of the portrait is certainly curious and seems to differ markedly from that of other published specimens. The piece definitely looks ancient, but I wonder whether it might be some type of 'contemporary forgery' struck unofficially in Imperatorial times in imitation of the regular issue. The rather caricaturish-nature of the features look to be somewhat more reminiscent of some of the early triumviral portraits of Antony and Octavian, so perhaps the coin may have been produced in the West by Republican sympathizers.'
The 'Eid Mar' denarius, one of the most famous rarities of all ancient coins, was struck in the summer of 42 BC at a mint moving with Brutus's army in Greece. The date (Eid[ibus] Mar[tiis]) takes on the character of a symbolic watchword, while the pileus represents liberty regained and the daggers are the messengers of the deed. A recent genuine example realised 400,000 SFr hammer at auction.
CNG had a similar example in fair condition as a fourree denarius (15 July 2015) (lot 465) realised $4500.