Even by the standards of the ancient world, the name Julius Caesar is an iconic one, perhaps even more so than the legendary Alexander the Great, who Caesar so admired. Before he became the leader of the Roman Republic, paving the way for the Empire that followed, Caesar was already a legend for his military exploits, mainly in his brutal subjugation of Gaul. Those exploits are exaggerated, given that the primary source for them is the book Commentarii de Bello Gallico, composed by none other than – drumroll – Julius Caesar.

Nevertheless, his campaigns were devastatingly effective, culminating in the Battle of Alesia, where his smaller force laid siege to the Gaulish Oppidum (fortified town) with an encircling wall. Hearing that the Gaulish leader, Vercingetorix, had called for reinforcements, Caesar had his men build a second encirclement facing outwards. All told, some 40 km of fortifications were built, and they proved decisive, with the Gauls surrendering after failing to breach them. What followed was a Roman crushing of resistance, and the death of untold thousands, including civilians. Honestly, I could write for hours on this fascinating period, but we’re here for the coin.

Even taking into account Caesar’s predilection for exaggeration, often inflating numbers tenfold, the Battle of Alesia was a masterpiece of military excellence, and certainly worthy of a modern coin. Spectres have taken their two-ounce silver format, and created what we feel is one of the very best Roman history releases in modern numismatics. The reverse face depicts Caesar, wearing a laurel wreath, and dressed in a heavily decorated breastplate, standing in front of the fortifications. Behind him are legionnaires of various ranks, holding standards, and obviously itching for a fight. The design is superb, and better seen in the views below, rather than the flat image above. Detail levels are high, and everything looks correct, except for the shields, which were oval at the time.

The obverse is a terrific battle scene, with Romans and Gauls in fierce melee combat. It’s quite packed with action, which, if a little unrealistic, is superb to see, doing a great job at showing us the chaos as it would have been. Again, the high-relief is used beautifully, layering the action, and providing a perspective that looks great, adding much depth. Only the overly large inscriptions at the top detract a little, although the use of Roman numerals for the date is a nice little touch.

It all comes boxed with a Certificate of Authenticity, and just 500 will be struck. This is the second in the Masters of War series, following Hannibal Barca, and while that was an excellent release, this one is better, in my view, of course, especially on the obverse. The expert use of high-relief, the excellent anatomy of all involved, and the choice of scenes, is all first-class. This is shaping up to be a fine series. Still waiting for Nelson!