[Home, My eBay, Site Map] [eBay logo] [to Browse, Sell, Services, Search, Help, and Community] [Browse Sub-Navigation] HD Rome, Rep. den: Erato, Muse of Pornography Item #164681414 Coins & Stamps:Coins:Non-US:Ancient, Medieval [Image] Bidding is closed for this item. [Image] [Show description]Currently $556.00 First bid $500.00 Quantity 1 # of bids 2 (bid history) (with [Leave feedback] emails) (to seller) Time left Auction has Location Massachusetts (to bidder) ended. [envelope] (mail this auction to Started 09/14/99, 14:27:41 PDT a friend) [Gift Alert] (request a gift Ends 09/21/99, 14:27:41 PDT alert) Featured Category Auction [Image] Seller henri_delger@prodigy.net (409) [star] [about me] (view comments in seller's Feedback Profile) (view seller's other auctions) (ask seller a question) [Image] High bid speck@log.on.ca (0) [Image] Payment Visa/MasterCard, American Express, Money Order/Cashiers Checks, See item description for payment methods accepted Shipping Seller pays for shipping, Seller ships internationally, See item description for shipping charges [Image] Relist Seller: Didn't sell your item the first time? item eBay will refund your relisting fee if it sells the second time around. Relist this item. Seller assumes all responsibility for listing this item. You should contact the seller to resolve any questions before bidding. Currency is U.S. dollar ($) unless otherwise noted. Description Classical Cash and Henri Delger's Old Roman Coins for Special Collectors present: [Look at THIS!] [Look at THIS!] HD: Rome, Rep. den.: Erato, Muse of Pornography Pomponius Musa, AR denarius, (3.69g) c. 66 BC, Head of Apollo right, flower stalk symbol behind / POMPONIVS MVSA Muse (Terpsichore reattributed here to Erato, with some caution) standing, head right, holding lyre, plectrum (pick) at side. Pomponia17, C410/7d. Good VF. While the standard references list this as a variety of Terpsechore, the attribution to Erato seems valid. Please bid appropriately, as this issue is no rarer than other Musa issues. Erato was the Muse of Erotic Poetry. Seaby notes in Roman Silver Coins, The representations of Hercules and the nine Muses . . . are intended as a (punning) reference to the cognomen of the moneyer. We probably have a representation in detail of the statues in the temple in the Circus Flaminius built in their honor by M. Fulvius Nobilior. . . . The Muses are shown with their various attributes. Collectors of the Muses are often able to obtain eight of the Muses, with patience and a budget. Erato, however eludes many of the most sophisticated and wealthy collectors. This piece with a similarly posed Muse with a flower and stalk obverse symbol (Pomponia17) were probably meant to portray Erato, the Muse of Erotic Poetry. Seaby notes under Pomponia12, It seems strange that this piece is so very much rarer than all the others, and assigns it a catalog value about ten times that of the other Muses. Auction records offer an even stronger value for Pomponia 12. Might Victorian prudity may have influenced the assignment of coins to what was fundamentally the Muse of pornographic stories? At the time, ancient numismatics was a field full of discovery and interpretation. Of course the mind-set of the interpreters played a part in their interpretation. Victorians sometimes modestly covered the legs of their pianos at the same time as a considerable network of brothels existed through-out London. The reverses of known Erato coins (Pomponia 12), known Terpsichore coins (Pomponia 18), and uncertain (Pomponia17) coins all feature a Muse standing, holding a lyre. Each other issue in the series features a unique obverse symbol behind the head of Apollo. No other Muse features two obverse symbols (with the exception of rare mules such as the one portrayed in CNG 39, Lot 1225). The second obverse symbol, the flower on a stalk, is the same as that on the known coins of Erato. Why would coins of Terpsichore share obverses with those of Erato? Coins presently attributed to Terpsichore (Pomponia 17 and 18) are more plentiful than those of any other Muse. Coins presently attributed to Erato are considerably rarer than any other Muse. Viewing Pomponia17 as Erato assigns a single obverse symbol to each Muse and places rarities of the Muses in relative proportion. Since these issues with similar types presumably were produced simultaneously, their proportional current rarities would be expected to be similar. Against this theory, is the fact that the Muse portrayed on Pomponia17 faces right, instead of facing as on Pomponia 12. The Muse on Pomponia 17 holds her plectorum (pick) at her side, rather than strumming as Erato does on Pomponia 12. Perhaps the reverse design of the Pomponia 12 Erato coins was shifted to make Erato look less like Terpsichore. A die study of these coins might be helpful in determining with more confidence whether Pomponia17 is the elusive Erato, Muse of Erotic Poetry. She may have been hiding in the collections of Roman Republican collectors for generations! PLEASE CLICK HERE to see ALL the wonderful items in this week's sale! CLICK HERE to go to OldRomanCoins.com for coins, antiquities, and books! HENRI'S SUPER SERVICE: On this item, MASTER CARD, VISA, BANK-ISSUED CASHIER'S CHECKS, CERTIFIED CHECKS, OR BANK/POSTAL MONEY ORDERS ONLY, PLEASE! Upon receipt of your payment, I will IMMEDIATELY ship this item anywhere in the world, with NO SHIPPING CHARGES! Sorry, but on this item, Personal checks and cash CANNOT be accepted. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Image] Bidding Bidding is closed for this item. --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcements | Register | eBay Store | SafeHarbor | Feedback Forum | About eBay Copyright © 1995-1999 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. [TrustE] Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the eBay User Agreement