Quick question - desert patina: real or fake?

Just talking right now...

What is the worst thing that could be under it?

What is the worst thing that could happen if it was removed?

What is the worst thing that could happen if left alone?

 

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Worst thing under it - bronze disease
Worst thing if it was removed - an uglier coin with evidence of BD... with new scratches I caused
Worst thing if left alone - doubts about what's under it lol

 

Not that it matters, but Denarius of Crispina & my current Vitellius came from him, no issues at all, even with shipping.

 

I guess enhancing silver coins is a little harder.

 

Hopefully its authentic, but that patina really reminds me of those bad Chinese counterfeit of song dynasty coins.

 

The authenticity isn't in question. The obverse is a die match to BMC 24 and SNG Hunterian 3174. The style of the coin is also correct for Emesa in 253AD. The patina *is* in question.

 

I meant the desert patina

 

Worst is a cast fake or a coin with 'Bondo' filling in the huge pit and tooled to restore detail. I don't think so and I would not touch it. In that price bracket, ten/twenty years from now the prevailing morality of the hobby may change to making this a 'beneficially restored' item with no questions. I'd have it slabbed before selling but you should not due to where you live. Would NGC see a problem? I say no.

 

Hi your experience and responses are great and to the point. Natural bronzes are a passion for me, I try to be 100% sure the surfaces of the coin I study under the microscope.

The question of the PATINA desert patina real or fake?



This coin I saw when it first came to the market with all desert sand deposits. I tried to buy it before it went under the warm water. The answer was NO. The good thing is the desert sand deposits were left on the coin.

What do you think?

Jeff

 

I replied bellow - still unsure how and where to reply

Hi Doug your experience and responses are great and to the point. Natural bronzes are a passion for me, I try to be 100% sure the surfaces of the coin I study under the microscope.

The question of the PATINA desert patina real or fake?



This coin I saw when it first came to the market with all desert sand deposits. I tried to buy it before it went under the warm water. The answer was NO. The good thing is the desert sand deposits were left on the coin.

What do you think?

Jeff

 

VCoins dealers can and have been kicked off the site for impropriety. I've been a dealer there for many years and I have seen it happen. If you cant make the situation good with the dealer, contact administration. They will certainly be your advocate.

 

I think it's a very attractive coin with the sandy highlights (which i assume are natural).

 

Not sure what I'll do with this one. The Uranius was sold to me a while ago, and I still want to keep it - but maybe attempt to remove the orange gunk.
I think a complaint to vcoins admin is in order though.
There's good evidence that the dealer in question tampers with almost all his bronze coins without declaring it, and with huge mark-ups. And he's been called on it before on the Forum board, yet continues to do it.

 

I am not comfortable separating these in hand so am less so from photos. Coins of the value of that Septimius or the Uranius should be bought from people you can discuss such matters with and not from people who don't know how to say 'altered' in any language. Second choice would be sending such coins for a Sear or NGC certification asking them specifically to address the patina. I have coins I would like to have opinions on but I have not yet sent $100 coins in for a $50 certificate (postage counts). $5000 coins seem like a different matter with different 'rules'.

I once believed in vCoins when it was the property of its original founder Bill Puetz. That changed when it was sold. I have been told that it improved again when Bill was reassociated with it (to what degree???) but I do not know the current standards except that the sellers discussed here are still there. I buy many coins from vCoins dealers but no longer just because they are vCoins dealers. I have seen them correct dealers that offered fakes but not for adding sand. Not all of us agree on whether coins should be 'touched' at all and to what degree. I suggest buying from people on the same side of that fence as makes you comfortable.