Obverse — Venus
NO LEGENDThe obverse is anepigraphic (no inscription). This was common for Roman Republican coins.
Obverse Image
Diademed head of Venus facing right, wearing a necklace, with her hair rolled back in a knot. Venus was the patron goddess of the Julian family — Caesar claimed direct descent from her through her son Aeneas and his grandson Iulus, from whom the name "Julius" derives.
Reverse Legend
CAESARJulius Caesar's family name — the only text on this coin, written vertically on the right side of the reverse
Reverse Image
Aeneas advancing left, carrying the Palladium (a sacred statue of Athena/Minerva) in his right hand and his elderly father Anchises on his left shoulder. This depicts the legendary escape from burning Troy — Aeneas's piety toward his father and the gods made him the ideal Roman hero. The imagery was deliberate propaganda: Caesar used it to advertise his divine lineage from Venus through Aeneas to the founding of Rome itself.
Historical Context
This coin was struck at a military mint traveling with Caesar's army during his campaign in North Africa against the Pompeians (47–46 BC). It was literally soldiers' pay — minted to fund a civil war.
