CNG 109, Lot: 559. Estimate $500. Sold for $605. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Q. Pomponius Musa. 56 BC. AR Denarius (17.4mm, 3.97 g, 6h). Rome mint. Laureate head of Apollo right; flower on stem behind / Erato, the Muse of Epic Poetry, standing right, holding plectrum at side and flat-bottomed kithara. Crawford 410/7d corr. (rev. type); Sydenham 820a corr. (same); Pomponia 17a (same); RBW –. VF, attractive cabinet toning, banker’s mark on Apollo’s neck.

From the Gasvoda Collection. Ex “Roman Republican Coins of a Student and his Mentor” Collection (Numismatica Ars Classica 83, 20 May 2015), lot 364.

From the consignor: This type is called “Terpsichore” by Crawford, however, I believe Phil Davis is correct when he identifies this coin type as Erato, based on the obverse flower symbol. A complete discussion of this subject can be found in the article Phil wrote for the Festschrift created for the late Rick Witschonke (FIDES pp. 389-401). The logic here is very sound and will make completing a set of Muses much easier as the previously rare, known from a single die, Erato is now shown to be just a die variety. (Davis identifies the obverse turtle symbol as being for Terpsichore.)