54 BC Thracian Scythian Gold AV Stater Koson MARCUS JUNIUS BRUTUS AU/UNC

Description: SKYTHIA. Geto-Dacians. Koson. Gold Stater. Mid Ist century BC. MINT STATE - UNC WEIGHT - 8.52 grams. SIZE: 19.79 mm. REFERENCE - RPC-1, 1701A; HGC-3.2, 2049. Obverse: Roman consul accompanied by two lictors advancing left; monogram to left; Reverse: Eagle, holding wreath, standing left on scepter. Though previously attributed to a Thracian king by the name of Koson . Believed to allude to the denarius issued by MARCUS JUNIUS BRUTUS. More recent scholarship points toward an attribution to the Geto-Dacians, not Thrace, and somewhat before the referenced issue of Brutus. Incredibly vibrant and lustrous, with a great yellow gold appeal throughout. SHIPPING BY CANADA POST REGISTERED INSURED MAIL TO CANADA - $35.00. USA - $55.00. WORLD - $89.00. KOSON GOLD STATER These coins known as Koson gold staters have been a mystery since a large hoard of them were found in the region of Transylvania in the 1543. There are two different theories of when and where they were minted, and what the inscription mean. I don't expect to solve this mystery to everyone's satisfaction, but I would like to present my observations of the evidence, which includes some recent metallurgical information, along with my interpretation of where that evidence points.The first theory was circulating in the 19th century and assumed Koson staters were struck in 43 or 42 BC by Marcus Junius Brutus (assassin of Julius Caesar) using a treasure provided to him by the Roman Senate. He was tasked by the Senate with going to Thrace to raise an army to defend the Republic against forces loyal to the now dead Julius Caesar. The battle was fought at Philippi in 42 BC, with Octavian defeating Brutus. This theory assumed KOΣΩN was a Dacian king, possibly Cotiso, whose troops Brutus may have hired and paid with these coins which are normally found in modern Romania, ancient Dacia, arriving with the returning soldiers.A second theory has gained favor recently, which assumes Koson staters were struck either in Dacia (modern Romania) or ancient Thrace (Northern Greece), possibly by the well documented King Cotiso or another King Koson not mentioned by ancient historians. This associates these coins with Geto-Dacian denarii which normally imitate Roman Republican silver denarii, and does not have connection to Brutus or the Senate's treasure. The assumed date is a not clear but perhaps a decade or two after 42 BC, and uses the logic that being found in Romania means they were minted there. These coins are often listed as either Scythian from Dacia or Thracian from Northern Greece, but for the purposes of this article would be refered to them as Dacian as that is the region where they are usually found.Both theories make sense, and can account for large hoards of them found in Romania, but both are problematic because of incomplete evidence including a lack any historical records that could refer to a King Koson (or similar) at that time. Recently there have been articles written claiming there are historical references to a King Koson.The obverse depicts three walking figures, usually with a monogram to the left that might be a BR, BA or even PRO, with the inscription KOΣΩN below. Some examples are missing the monogram. The obverse is loosely copied from Marcus Junius Brutus' denarius of 54 BC depicting an accensus walking before three figures representing L. Junius Brutus between two lictors, with BRVTVS below. On the Koson stater the accensus is not shown, BRVTVS has been replaced by KOΣΩN but if the monogram is a BR it was abbreviated and moved up and to the left.L. Junius Brutus was one of the first consuls of Rome who in 509 BC over-threw Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the last king of Rome. This lead to Roman becoming a Republic. M. Junius Brutus believed himself descended from L. Junius Brutus, so used this design as depicting important ancestral events was a common theme on Roman coins of this period. Although he did not know it at the time, the Ides of March in 44 BC, M. Junius Brutus would be one of the lead assassins of Julius Caesar in what he felt was defending that same Roman Republic but leading to a civil war with Brutus and Cassius going first to Asia, then to Greece to raise an army with which defend the Republic against the anti-Republican forces loyal to the deceased Julius Caesar and lead by Octavian.In 509 BC the accensus walking before three figures represented a common foot soldier of low rank, while the lictors were higher ranking soldiers who carried arms and together three soldiers were body guards for the consul between them. This procession has fallen out of favor long before 54 BC when M. Janius Brutus issued his denarii, but had been reinstated in 58 BC by Julius Caesar when he became consul but while the lictors were still armed guards, the roll of accensus had become one of a harold to announce the Consul was approaching.By leaving off the accensus off the Koson staters, they are removing the harold and that might mean the rank of the man between the lictors is of lesser rank. While there is no way to know for use, this could mean the man in the middle represents the people and Senate of Rome, who Brutus was trying to protect.

Price: 2799.99 USD

Location: Calgary, Alberta

End Time: 2024-12-17T23:34:42.000Z

Shipping Cost: 55 USD