TYPE Ancient Greece, Kolophon (Ionia), 2nd - 1st c. BC, bronze AE20 DESCRIPTION . Obv: Homer seated l., holding scroll, head resting on right hand, Greek legend PYTHEOS before him Rev: Apollo Kitharoidos walking r., Greek legend KOLOFONI[ON] to side REFERENCE: SG 4357 var., LE 448 var. (magistrate) GRADING: F+, light brown patina, somewhat porous, scarcer magistrate ORDER INFO: G3068, $68 Seven Greek cities boasted to be the birthplaces of the semi-legendary ancient Greek bard, and while some advanced their claim more aggressively than others, Homer is not a common theme on coinage. Nearby Smyrna is probably best known for its Homer-related monetary types that usually resemble the present one - except for the subtlety of the poet's pose here, which is somewhat reminiscent (or vice versa, as it were), of a much later art masterpiece - Rodin's "Thinker". (Characteristically - this sculpture was originally called "The Poet"...)