EID MAR Denarius

I picked up an EID MAR coin today. It is rather beat up and and the auction house that sold it last November 2016 said it is probably an ancient forgery.

Noble Numismatics pics from auction last year. The description that went with the coin is below.

"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 L.PLAET.CEST, bare head of Brutus to right,
rev. EID MAR, Pileus between two daggers,

• Cr.508/3
• S.1439,
• Babelon Junia 52 and Plaetoria 13,
• Syd 1301, cf.Sear Imperators 216,
• Cahn, EIDibus MARtiis, Q.Tic. 18, 1989, (dies not listed),

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."

My pics need some work, but here they are:


The description tag that came with the coin.


I saw the coin at auction last year, but could not push the bid button. When I saw it in person, I decided that an EDI-MAR place holder coin is a pretty good thing!

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

That's a interesting one, that's for sure.

As much as all of us want an EID MAR, I actually find the cuts more interesting due to it being done on this coin itself.

 

Wow, nice pickup. I agree with @Mat , that is an interesting coin.

 

If I had seen it, and the price right, I would have bought this coin as well. It is an interesting example, cuts and all. Congratulations.

 

Speechless.

 

I don't think you will regret picking this up. It has a long history and if David Sear has not condemned it at a modern forgery you are good to go. Jealous!

John

 

I like it. As long as it's ancient it's still very rare and extremely historically significant. I would not completely rule it out as an official issue either.

 

congrats to you RRD!

 

WOW!!!! I would not have expected any CTer, even AJ, to ever own an EID MAR. I regard it as a privilege to be on the same forum as the owner of this coin! Even if it is an ancient imitation. (That just makes it even rarer. )

 

I agree @rrdenarius, an EiD-MAR place holder coin is a pretty good thing!! Very nice

 

Awesome score!

 

Interesting, to say the least!

I only have a modern forgery:

 

Awesome @rrdenarius!! Great find man.

 

Wow! Awfully interesting coin... a pickup like that one would have really made my year. Congrats!

 

Feast your eyes ...
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/my-centerpiece-ides-of-march-denarius.249239/#post-1953885

 

Thats pretty neat. Cool addition

 

So we have two now! We totally rock. How many does the BM have?

 

From the many test cuts the specimen shows, I believe David Sear isn't the first to have concerns about its authenticity. Whatever, this one has seen hands and hands from back then to nowadays. A fabulous artifact, congrats !

Q

 

There is nothing suggesting it is fourree. Sear's reservations on the style and the lack of a die link are serious problems but his feeling that it is ancient, if not official, makes it not 'just another fake'.