Roman consul Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus

Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus was consul in 54 BC and a fierce opponent of Julius Caesar. He was a leader of the aristocratic Optimates and fought to resist Caesar's rise to power during the Roman Civil War. He was Nero's great-great-grandfather. As the friendship between Caesar and Pompey cooled, Ahenobarbus threw his lot behind Pompey. The coin is a highly desired rarity, struck circa 41 B.C. at a mint that was traveling with Ahenobarbus. Hammer price was 650,000 Swiss francs ($697,882 U.S.)

Caesar crossed the Rubicon on 11 January 49 BC with Legio XIII, declaring that "the die is cast". By advancing under arms into the Roman home province of Italia, and beyond the boundaries of his own provinces where he held imperium, civil war came between the forces in support of Caesar and those in support of the Senate led by Pompey. The senate appointed Ahenobarbus to succeed Caesar as governor of the province of further Gaul, and when Caesar marched into Italy in 49, he was the only aristocrat who showed any courage. At Corfinium with about thirty cohorts, (3 legions) he expected support from Pompey but none came. His own troops compelled him to surrender to Caesar after a seven day siege. Caesar let him live.

Ahenobarbus was killed just after the Battle of Pharsalus in 48, in which he commanded the right wing against Mark Antony, who, according to Cicero, struck the blow that killed him.