A rare Roman coin with a portrait of Brutus, the assassin of Julius Caesar, was sold at a Geneva auction on Monday for CHF1.89 million ($2.15 million), according to the organiser of the sale, Numismatica Genevensis. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The historical object was purchased by a European collector after "intense competition" among eight online bidders, the seller said in a statement. The coin was initially valued at more than €800,000 (CHF740,000). Weighing 8g and similar in size to a euro, it represents "a piece of history" marking the last chapters of the Roman Republic, explained Frank Baldacci, director of Numismatica Genevensis, in an interview with news agency AFP before the sale. + Discovering Switzerland’s buried treasure The coin was minted between 43 and 42BC by Brutus and his supporters, the same ones who killed Julius Caesar in March 44BC, Baldacci added. The coin's obverse depicts Brutus's profile surrounded by a laurel wreath ...
