A rare Roman coin depicting Brutus, the assassin of politician Julius Caesar, sold for 1.98 million euros at a Geneva auction on Monday.
The historic item was bought by a European collector for more than 1.83 million Swiss francs ($2.09 million) “after intense bidding among eight online bidders,” the dealer said in a statement.
The original value of this coin was over 800,000 euros.
Weighing eight grams and about the size of a euro, it is “a piece of history” that marks the final chapters of the Roman Republic, Frank Baldacci, director of Numismatica Geniuses, told AFP ahead of the sale.
The coin was minted in 43-42 BC by Brutus and his supporters who assassinated Julius Caesar in March 44 BC, Baldacci explained.
It shows the profile of Brutus surrounded by a crimson mantle in front and battle symbols behind him to celebrate his military victories.
Baldacci said that the cloak in particular was “a sign of someone who wanted to promote himself as emperor”, adding that its circulation offered “propaganda value” for Brutus.
The auction house said it is one of only 17 known artifacts of its kind.
It resurfaced in the 1950s, appearing in a private collector’s catalog and later at a 2006 auction in Zurich where it was sold to another private collector for 360,000 Swiss francs.