Gaius Cassius Longinus and Marcus Servilius. Aureus 43-42 BC, mint moving in Asia Minor. C · CASSI · IMP Laureate head of Libertas right / SERVILIVS – LEG Aplustre with each branch ending in a flower. 8,01g. Bahrfeldt 60; Calicó 67; Crawford 505/1; Syndenham 1311. Rare. Good extremely fine. Provenance: Patrick Doheny Collection (1923-2014), Sotheby's (20 June 1979), 70. Spink 5014 (28 September 2005), 389. NAC 62 (6 October 2011), 2004. Baron Lorne Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection. As his relationship with Brutus deteriorated day by day, Cassius still refused to march on Italy and instead decided to launch a punitive expedition against Rhodes, which had supported Publius Cornelius Dolabella, a partisan of Mark Antony. In an attempt to appease Cassius, Rhodes sent an embassy accompanied by Archelaus, a Rhodian and, above all, Cassius’ former Greek teacher. But nothing could dissuade him: Cassius, whom Plutarch describes as a brutal and impulsive man, sailed towards Rhodes. The naval battle of Myndos sealed the fate of the island. Cassius landed on Rhodes and took the city, but spared it from complete destruction. Purges were carried out among the elite, and the city was forced to pay a ransom. This was a remarkable military achievement for Cassius, as it was the first time that the city of Rhodes had ever been captured. Both Demetrius Poliorcetes, in 305 BC, and Mithradates VI Eupator, in 88 BC, had previously failed in their attempts. Cassius therefore chose to proclaim this achievement through one of the most widely circulated objects in the ancient world: coins. On the obverse, the title imperator proclaims Cassius’ victory, while on the reverse, the aplustre evokes his naval triumph. The aplustre was decorated with roses, the emblem of Rhodes, a symbol also found in his coinage.