Extremely fine Koson stater - M. Iunius Brutus accompanied by two lictors
Price: on request
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Object number
AR3169M01
| Coined by: |
Koson or M. Iunius Brutus
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| Value: |
Stater
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| Material: |
Gold
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| Details: |
Diameter: 21 mm, weight: 8.51 g. Probably Olbia mint, 50 - 25 B.C. |
| Obverse: |
Magistrate, possibly consul M. Iunius Brutus, accompanied by two lictors advancing left; monogram to left KOSON |
| Reverse: |
Eagle standing left on scepter, holding wreath.
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| Historical: |
Attempts to explain this unusual coin date back over 500 years, since king Koson left no traced besides his name on this coin type. Already in 1520, Erasmus of Rotterdam has written comments about this coin type, and until now it is subject of scientific analysis.
The obverse is clearly inspired by the denarius of M. Iunius Brutus coined 54 BC, showing his ancestor L. Iunius Brutus, while the reverse is inspired by a denarius of Q. Pomponiu Rufus coined 73 BC. Some scientists argue that Koson was a local Dacian king, and read the monogram as BA = Basileus (king). Others, e.g. T. Mommsen, see in Koson a Dacian, Thracian or even Scythian ally of M. Iunius Brutus, and read the monogram as BR = Brutus. Recently, it was proposed to identify Koson with the Dacian king Cotison mentioned by Horace and Suetonis
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| Condition |
Extremely fine, well centered
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| References: |
RPC 1701A; BMC 3.208.1
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| Provenance: |
Acquired 2021 at a German numismatic auction house.
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| Authenticity: |
We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.
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