US to auction world’s most famous coin

US: The Ides of March silver denarius will be offered on September 7, 2011, and is expected to fetch more than $500,000, Artdaily reported.

The coin is famous for being struck by Julius Caesar’s assassin Marcus Brutus, celebrating the infamous deed, and will be auctioned as part of at the Long Beach Numismatic Expo.

The Ides of March will be displayed at Heritage Auctions’ Beverly Hills offices before being sent to the auction.

“The ‘Ides of March’ denarius, struck in 42 B.C., is the only Roman coin to openly celebrate an act of murder,” said Director of Ancient Coins for Heritage David S. Michaels.

He added that “the only Roman coin to mention a specific date and one of the very few ancient coins to enter the popular imagination.”

The coin will set a record price for a Roman silver coin if it can reach its pre-auction estimate.

“Not only is this one of the finest examples known of this historic rarity, this ‘Ides of March’ denarius once resided in the collections of well-known Hollywood producer Sy Weintraub and the actor Peter Weller,” said Michaels. Press TV