[Home, My eBay, Site Map, Sign In/Out] [eBay logo] [Main Navigation] [Browse Sub-Navigation] ORC7407 Erato, Muse of Pornography, VF Item # 1394480955 Coins:Coins: World:Ancient:Roman: Republic Bidding is closed for this item. mary-e-coyle[Spacer](86)[Spacer][star] is the winner and has completed Checkout. 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Description Classical Cash and [Image] Please click the banner above to go to our eBay "AboutMe" home page. present -- our 174th eBay Sale! [Image] [Image] If the photos above do not load, click here for Obverse and click here for Reverse ORC7407 Erato, Muse of Pornography, VF Q. Pomponius Musa, AR denarius, (3.99g) c. 66 BC, Laureate head of Apollo right, flower stalk behind. / Q POMPONI MVSA Erato standing right, holding lyre and plectrum. Pomponia 17a; C410/7d; Syc. 820a. VF overall, though perhaps Good VF from the standpoint of wear, with a bit of central striking weakness, large obverse banker's mark at center, nicely centered, with otherwise attractive surfaces on a full and heavy flan. 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 an extensive 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! CLICK HERE TO E-MAIL US before you bid, if you have a question about this item. 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