Melpomene – Muse of Tragedy

443, Lot: 471. Estimate $500. Sold for $650. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Q. Pomponius Musa. 56 BC. AR Denarius (18mm, 4.01 g, 3h). Rome mint. Laureate head of Apollo right; scepter to left / Melpomene, the Muse of Tragedy, wearing long flowing tunic and peplum, standing right, wearing sword, holding club in right hand and tragic mask in left. Crawford 410/4; Sydenham 816; Pomponia 14; Type as RBW 1486. Good VF, lightly toned, a few light scratches, weakly struck in areas.

From the Andrew McCabe Collection. Ex Vecchi 15 (15 June 1999), lot 746.