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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Themes & Provenance| ▸ |Gods, Non-Olympian| ▸ |Muses & Graces||View Options:   | | | |
The first Rome mint portrait sestertius, and a highly sought after reverse type.RB37601. Orichalcum sestertius, RIC I 33; BMCRE p. 152, 36; BnF II 47; Cohen I 4; SRCV I 1800, VF, red-brown patina, weight 25.168 g, maximum diameter 34.6 mm, die axis 180o, Rome mint, 37 - 38 A.D.; obverse C CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS PON M TR POT, laureate head left; reverse AGRIPPINA DRVSILLA IVLIA S C, the three sisters of Caligula standing, in the guises of Securitas, Concordia and Fortuna; ex B.V., Mailbid Sale 5 (1973, lot 71 (sold for 2400 DM plus fees); rare; SOLD
Mytilene, Lesbos, c. 412 - 378 B.C.
Mytilene was famous in ancient times for its great output of electrum coins struck from the late 6th through mid - 4th centuries B.C. The usual denomination was the hekte (1/6th stater). Warwick Wroth noted in the British Museum Catalog, "The Sixths of [this Lesbos electrum series] form one of the most beautiful coin-series of the ancient world. This will be evident from a glance."SH95224. Electrum Hekte (1/6 Stater), Bodenstedt 79, SNGvA 1731, BMC Troas 62; Pozzi 2324, Traité II 2183, HGC 6 1005, VF, fine style, toned, scuff on cheek, marks, weight 2.551 g, maximum diameter 11.0 mm, die axis 180o, Mytilene mint, c. 412 - 378 B.C.; obverse female (muse?) head right, hair in sakkos, wearing a pendant earring and necklace; reverse Kithara with seven strings in linear square, within incuse square; ex Forum (2016), ex Frank L. Kovacs; SOLD
Roman Republic, Q. Pomponius Musa, c. 66 B.C., Eroto, the Muse of Erotic Poetry on Reverse
The reverse is a punning reference to the name of the moneyer. He struck coins for each of the nine muses, and Hercules, as their leader, presumably modeled after a group of statues. Each of the muses is indicated by a different obverse symbol. Eroto was not the "Muse of Pornography." She was rather the inspiration of poets such as Ovid. His poetry has literary value, but he was banished by Augustus, partly because of his smutty poetry, but also because of his adultery with the Emperor's daughter Julia. In Victorian England, this type was attributed to Terpsichore, the Muse of Dance. They assigned the tortoise symbol to Terpsichore. They assigned the flower stalk found on this coin to both Eroto and to Terpsichore, depending on the reverse. Under this scheme only the Muse of Dance had two obverse symbols and only Eroto shared her symbol with another muse. Seven of the muses were about equally distributed, but Eroto was considerably rarer, and Terpsichore about twice as common as any other Muse. Victorian sensibilities about sex may have allowed numismatists to decide that Erotic Poetry should be very, very rare. By comparison, the Romans saw Eroto as "just another Muse." Her coins should be about as common as the others. Today we are convinced each of the nine obverse symbols represents only one muse.SH16472. Silver denarius, Sydenham 820a, RSC I Pomponia 17a, Crawford 410/7b, SRCV I 358, gVF, beautifully toned with iridescent blues, slightly flat in centers, weight 3.810 g, maximum diameter 18.7 mm, die axis 180o, Rome mint, 66 B.C.; obverse laureate head of Apollo right, flower stalk behind; reverse Q POMPONI MVSA, Eroto, the Muse of Erotic Poetry (previously described as Terpsichore), standing right, plectrum in right hand, kithara (lyre) in left hand; ex Dr. Charles L. Ruby collection, ex CNG; SOLD
Roman Republic, Q. Pomponius Musa, 66 B.C.
Many of the Roman moneyers had a solid sense of humor and word play with homonyms was very popular. Pomponius Musa, playing on his name, issued ten types each depicting Hercules Musagetes (Conductor of the Muses) or one of nine different Muses, creating one of the most interesting and sought after series of the Republican coinage. This coin depicts Clio, the Muse of History.SH71011. Silver denarius, RSC I Pomponia 11, SRCV I 353, Sydenham 813, Crawford 410/3, VF, porous, weight 3.501 g, maximum diameter 18.3 mm, die axis 90o, Rome mint, 66 B.C.; obverse laureate head of Apollo right, scroll tied with cord behind; reverse MVSA on left, Q POMPONI on right, Clio, Muse of History standing left, reading from open scroll which she holds in both hands, left elbow rests on column; SOLD
Roman Republic, Q. Pomponius Musa, 66 B.C.
Many of the Roman moneyers had a solid sense of humor and word play with homonyms was very popular. Pomponius Musa, playing on his name, issued ten types each depicting Hercules Musagetes (Conductor of the Muses) or one of nine different Muses, creating one of the most interesting and sought after series of the Republican coinage. This coin depicts Clio, the Muse of History.SH90301. Silver denarius, RSC I Pomponia 11, SRCV I 353, Sydenham 813, Crawford 410/3, gF, banker's marks, weight 3.585 g, maximum diameter 18.4 mm, die axis 45o, Rome mint, 66 B.C.; obverse laureate head of Apollo right, scroll tied with cord behind; reverse MVSA on left, Q POMPONI on right, Clio, Muse of History standing left, reading from open scroll which she holds in both hands, left elbow rests on column; ex CNG auction 233 (26 April 2010), lot 315; SOLD
Roman Republic, Q. Pomponius Musa, 66 B.C.
Many of the Roman moneyers had a solid sense of humor and word play with homonyms was very popular. Pomponius Musa, playing on his name, issued ten types each depicting Hercules Musagetes (Conductor of the Muses) or one of nine different Muses, creating one of the most interesting and sought after series of the Republican coinage. This coin depicts Thalia, the Muse of Comedy.SH90309. Silver denarius, RSC I Pomponia 19, Crawford 410/9b, Sydenham 821, SRCV I 360, F, banker’s mark on obverse, weight 3.486 g, maximum diameter 18.7 mm, die axis 90o, Rome mint, 66 B.C.; obverse laureate head of Apollo right, sandal behind; reverse MVSA on left, Q POMPONI on right, Thalia, the Muse of comedy, standing left, holding comic mask in right, leaning left arm on column behind; ex CNG auction 233 (26 May 2010), lot 316; SOLD
Roman Republic, Q. Pomponius Musa, 66 B.C.
Many of the Roman moneyers had a solid sense of humor and word play with homonyms was very popular. Pomponius Musa, playing on his name, issued ten types each depicting Hercules Musagetes (Conductor of the Muses) or one of nine different Muses, creating one of the most interesting and sought after series of the Republican coinage. This coin depicts Urania, the Muse of Astronomy.SH18012. Silver denarius, Crawford 410/8, Sydenham 823, RSC I Pomponia 22, Russo RBW 1488, SRCV I 359, VF, weight 4.017 g, maximum diameter 18.1 mm, die axis 45o, Rome mint, 66 B.C.; obverse laureate head of Apollo right, star behind; reverse MVSA on left, Q POMPONI on right, Urania, Muse of Astronomy, standing left, pointing with rod at globe on tripod-stand; SOLD
Roman Republic, Q. Pomponius Musa, 66 B.C.
Many of the Roman moneyers had a solid sense of humor and word play with homonyms was very popular. Pomponius Musa, playing on his name, issued ten types each depicting Hercules Musagetes (Conductor of the Muses) or one of nine different Muses, creating one of the most interesting and sought after series of the Republican coinage. This coin depicts Melpomene, the muse of Tragedy.RR89043. Silver denarius, RSC I Pomponia 14, Crawford 410/4, Sydenham 816, SRCV I 354, VF, attractive head of Apollo, light toning, light marks, off center, some encrustation, weight 3.453 g, maximum diameter 18.4 mm, die axis 180o, Rome mint, 66 B.C.; obverse laureate head of Apollo right, scepter behind; reverse Melpomene, muse of tragedy, standing left, resting right hand on club, tragic mask in left, MVSA downward on left, Q POMPONI downward on right; ex Harlan J. Berk auction 156, lot 242; SOLD
Roman Republic, Q. Pomponius Musa, 66 B.C.
Many of the Roman moneyers had a good sense of humor and word play with homonyms was very popular. Pomponius Musa, playing on his name, issued ten types each depicting Hercules Musagetes (Conductor of the Muses) or one of nine different Muses, creating one of the most interesting and sought after series of the Republican coinage. This coin depicts Calliope, the Muse of Epic Poetry.SH56076. Silver denarius, Crawford 410/2b, RSC I Pomponia 10, Sydenham 812, F, weight 3.362 g, maximum diameter 17.6 mm, die axis 0o, Rome mint, 66 B.C.; obverse laureate head of Apollo right, lyre-key behind; reverse MVSA on right, Q POMPONI on left, Calliope, Muse of Epic Poetry, standing right, playing kithara (lyre) resting on column to right; SOLD
Roman Republic, Q. Pomponius Musa, 66 B.C.
Many of the Roman moneyers had a solid sense of humor and word play with homonyms was very popular. Pomponius Musa, playing on his name, issued ten types each depicting Hercules Musagetes (Conductor of the Muses) or one of nine different Muses, creating one of the most interesting and sought after series of the Republican coinage. This coin depicts Urania, the Muse of Astronomy.SH90302. Silver denarius, RSC I Pomponia 22, SRCV 359, Sydenham 823, Crawford 410/8, F, well centered, bankers, weight 3.877 g, maximum diameter 17.4 mm, die axis 225o, Rome mint, 66 B.C.; obverse laureate head of Apollo right, star behind; reverse MVSA on left, Q POMPONI on right, Urania, Muse of Astronomy, standing left, pointing with rod at globe on tripod-stand; ex CGB Numismatique Paris; SOLD
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