79 - JULIUS CAESAR Caius Julius Caesar 63 – March 15, 44

JULIUS CAESAR Caius Julius Caesar 63 – March 15, 44 Consul for the third time in 46 B.C. and Aulius Hirtius* C. CAESAR COS TER. Veiled head of Julius Caesar facing right, depicted as Vesta or Piety. Rev. A. HIRTIVS. PR. Pontifical emblems: lituus, oenochoe, simpulum, and axe. ♦ Babelon Hirtia 2 and Julia 24; Cohen 2/60 francs gold; Cr 466; Sydenham 10118; Calicó 36 Aureus struck in 46 BC by Aulius Hirtius. (8.00 g) An interesting coin. The blank is slightly hazy and off-center on the reverse. A very fine specimen. This issue, commissioned by the praetor Aulus Hirtius, is the first gold coin struck in Rome in 200 years. Apart from Sulla’s aureus, Julius Caesar was the first to dare to mint a new gold coin bearing his effigy. It commemorates his fourfold triumph in 47 B.C.: victories over the Gauls, victories against Pompey at Pharsalus, Pharnaces II of Pontus, and Juba I of Numidia. It was on this occasion that he uttered the now-famous words: “Veni, Vidi, Vici” (I came, I saw, I conquered). The obverse indicates that Julius Caesar was serving as consul for the third time, and the reverse depicts Caesar’s pontifical emblems as “Pontifex Maximus.” After Caesar’s assassination, Hirtus served as consul alongside C. Vibius Pansa. In 43 B.C., despite his victory, he was killed in action during the Battle of Modena against Mark Antony.