Obverse: Head of Apollo right, wearing laurel wreath with hair rolled back and in loose locks over forehead, plectrum to left. Reverse: Calliope, the Muse of Epic Poetry, wearing long flowing tunic and peplum, standing right and playing lyre set on column.

Apollo, leader of the Muses, is invoked here as the divine patron whose chorus the moneyer Q. Pomponius Musa celebrated across his entire issue, each denarius pairing the god with one of the nine sisters in a learned pun on his cognomen.

Calliope, eldest of the Muses and patroness of epic poetry, was traditionally credited as the mother of Orpheus and the inspiration behind Homer's verse.

Reverse legend: Q • POMPONI MVSA, "Quintus Pomponius Musa," naming the moneyer responsible for the issue, whose cognomen Musa supplied the conceit for the entire series.

Toned with light iridescence, slight porosity, minor marks and scratches.

Lightly toned with underlying luster. Perfectly centered and well struck.

Attractively toned with some luster, struck slightly off center, area of find patina

Deeply toned with golden and iridescent highlights around devices, pair of scratches and some minor marks under tone, minor porosity.

Attractively toned and lustrous with trace horn silver. Minor die break on obverse.

Lightly toned with a few minor scratches.

Light toning, struck slightly off center, a few light marks

Toned with a few light marks and scratches

Iridescent toning, area of weak strike, some light marks and scratches, small test mark on the edge.


4/2/25	$1,600	VF	CNG	▼ −69%
3/5/25	$350	F	CNG	— 0%
1/9/24	$27,500	XF	CNG	— 0%
10/4/23	$375	VF	CNG	▼ −93%
9/19/23	$3,250	VF	CNG	▼ −38%

Denarius of Q. Pomponius MusaCrawford 410/2b

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