Today is March 15, which on the calendar of the ancient Romans was known as the Ides of March. The Ides were the midpoint of the month, and the Ides of each month was sacred to Jupiter, the supreme deity in the Roman Pantheon. Of course, the Ides of March was made forever notorious by the assassination of Julius Caesar on that date in 44 BC. This event marked a turning point in Roman history, being one of the events that marked the transition of Rome from a Republic to an Empire.

This famous coin was minted at a military mint moving with the forces of Brutus and Cassius, circa 43/2 BC. under the moneyer L. Plaetorius Cestianus. The obverse shows the unadorned bust of Brutus facing right, bearded, with the legends L.PLAET.CEST.BRVT.IMP. (L. Plaetorius Cesatianus Brutus Imperator). The portrait is noted for its realism. The reverse features a pileus, or liberty cap, between two daggers, with the legend EID.MAR. The pileus was a type of brimless felt cap that was associates with the manumission of slaves, who wore it upon their liberation. The two daggers always differed in design from one another, so as to illustrate the variety of persons and points of view within the Republican cause. Few coins of ancient times or of any other period have ever captured a historical event with such stark, brutal realism or with such an economy of words and imagery. Needless to say, this is one of the most sought after coins of the ancient world, with good examples routinely selling for six figures.