43 S Washington

To be more excact the Severina I posted is a billon ant and has an odd silvering to it, hence the reason I bought it. Curiousity keeps my collection interesting to say the least.
I had origially in my post said it was a denarius, an oversight that RC corrected me, I typo a lot

 

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Thanks, Roman Collector, Smojo and Curtisimo, the examples will definitely help me in the restoration.
Is this just years of built up corrosion? I really don't want to go to far, and have the coin pitted or brittle in the end.

What is the difference between a Denarius, an FTR, and an ANT?

 

It is from 1700 years of being buried in the ground. Almost all ancient coins need some level of cleaning when they are found (usually they are in coin hoards that were buried during times of crisis). Ending up with a coin that has rough surfaces and putting is always a possibility. You never can tell what you actually have until you fully clean the coin. Looking at your progress so far I think your coin is a good candidate to turn out nice with some continued cleaning.

Denarius - Was a silver coin that served as the backbone of the Roman monetary system from its introduction in 211 BC until it began to lose importance after the introduction of the Antoninianus in AD 215. It was struck in a heavily debased (very little silver) form until the reign of Aurelian and Severina ending in 275 (your example was struck at this time). It was also struck in limited numbers by Diocletian. It began at a weight of 4.5g in 211 BC which continually fell until it reached an average weight of about 3.5g with ever decreasing silver content.

ANT = Antoninianus - Was a coin issued by Caracalla that was decreed to be worth 2 denarii. However the weight was only 1.5 denarii so people tended to hoard the Denarius which led to the Antoninianus becoming the dominant currency. These were struck in large numbers from AD 215 until about AD 296 with silver content falling rapidly to an almost completely bronze coin that was coated in silver (silvering) by the 270s.

FTR = FEL TEMP REPARATIO - This is a coin that contains the Latin "FEL TEMP REPARATIO" on the reverse which translates to "restoration of happy times". These were common in the mid AD 300s. One of the most popular types is called the falling horseman or FH because a Roman soldier is spearing a falling horseman.

Doug has a good page on forum about these if you're interested.
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/ftr.html

 

To add to what Curtismo said, not all denarius were silver some were bronze and then there are the disputable "limes denarius",
This Aurelian is a bronze denarius, albiet not a good photo

I'm sure if I dig around enough I have a few limes in my collection as well.

 

Limes Denarius? I was wondering, and it was going to be my next question. Was that this looks red, More of a bronze. I am going to have some reading to do.

 

I found it at a pawn shop. And I think a good price. I kinda figured the corrosion was normal, I wasn't sure if someone gave up on the restoration, and if it was possible to get any better.

Question? would plastic pics or metal pics be the best investment for a project like this?

 

You had some influence! The Dark Side has all ways intrigued me.
Also the Ancients forum as a whole, is quick to help with information, and examples.
Thanks Ya, All!!

Please feel free to post your Severina's
I would like to see more examples.

 

I'll let someone else explain limes.
Red, green can be mineral deposits, they are hard and personally best left alone you don't know whats under it and you may not like it.

I use bamboo skewers but I think anything but metal will work.
I wish I could walk into a pawn shop with ancients, hell the coins shops here have no ancients. Don't know what you paid but I imagine you did ok.
That was my only Severina. I'm working an empress sub or I wouldn't have that one not really a big area of interests. I'm more early Rome & Greek but dabble in them all.
My email hasn't changed feel free anytime.

 

I descided to soak the severina I acetone for a few hours, and made more progress in two hours, than I did in a week and a half alternating between olive oil and distilled water.
I put it in olive oil and wasn't happy with the subtle change in appearance. What I noticed was the acetone is giving me sharper edges to pick at. I am going to see if another bath makes a difference.
I will attempt a photo by the end of the weekend.

 

I've had mixed results with accetone on bronze.
The good were ones I was treating BD and just used the accetone to help dry the coin.
The bad one time turned a bronze almost pink then over a period of several months later the pink turned a dull red. It was a coin I bought from FORVM (not the members auction) it had some BD.
I've never used olive oil, but have had great luck with verdicare.

 

It is loosening a lot of crud, more than the other two in a fraction of the time. I will check it again in an hour or so. So, far no pink, keeping my fingers crossed. I will keep an eye on it.

 

Just in case anyone reading this does not know:
Limes (lee-mace) is the Latin word for limits or borders. The bronze copies of coins that should be silver tend to be found in the far reaches of the empire or past the borders where people may have experienced the concept of money but not be terribly familiar with all the details. Some people believe that the coins might have been made to fill in for silver coins where it was desirable not to have the real thing possibly fall into enemy hands. We simply do not know.

Those of us who have collected these coins for a while and been reading Coin Talk for a while often slip into a lingo filled with abbreviations and terms we expect others to know. While we welcome new participants, our main purpose for being here is not to simplify everything so everyone, including those who have no idea what an ancient coin is, can read and understand every word. We are happy to answer questions and make clear things that get lost in the lingo but after you type antoninianus a few times you may understand why "ant" has appeal. The one I can not explain is this 'roach' obsession. Sometime not long ago someone on Coin Talk commented that coins of Gordian III were as common as cockroaches and it grew into an 'in' joke that will not die. There are many coins more common but they, so far, have been spared the humor of this group.

I have posted many times the link to my page on vocabulary and am sure those who have been reading here and care have already seen it. I also have discovered that posting links is terribly old fashioned and Googling terms like 'vocabulary ancient coins' will lead to my pages and other helpful places to learn thing that would be helpful. Typing in 'ftr coins' produces links answering that one but ant and roach searches are still a bit buggy.

 

Good read and thanks for joining the thread Doug. Thanks for the theory's on the purpose of a bronze Denarii.

 

How's the progress on the cleaning for this one coming @Pickin and Grinin?

 

Been on my mind for a few weeks, Honestly, I got a little aggressive and got into the patina, it has been in olive oil for a while, Waittin for some hot water, then an immediate soak in acetone. I will update some photos.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanks for reminding me.

 

Nice Severina you are working on Pickin and Grinin! I do not have this empress yet.

Your G. Washington posted here on the dark side reminds me of Ancient Rome Republic - USA Republic connection. George Washington is the Cincinatus of USA. George Washington is the "The Cincinnatus of the West".
https://romanroadsmedia.com/2015/02/cincinnatus-washington/

 

that was his hero, and whom he did emulate.

 

I've just received a coin of her husbands and it it the 1st silvered antoninanus i've ever had, with a lot of silver still being on the reverse and a little being on the obverse.

 

i have just got this Nero As and it has spots of BD going on.. i bought it knowing this and now i am bound and determined to arrest it any way i can! right now i'm coating it with Verdi-care, but i figure i'll have to do something else before long. i'm looking at all the options and different methods and testimonials from wherever i can find them till i decide on what course to go with next so this thread is of great interest to me even more now.