There have been two neat threads on Tiberius´ and Drusus Junior´s coinage for Livia recently, so I won´t bother with a writeup here. Anyway, I have something to contribute now so here is my new acquisition which may have pitted surfaces, but still makes my old one look like crap PIETAS - Veiled, diademed, and draped bust of Livia, as Pietas, right DRVSVS CAESAR TI AVGVSTI F TR POT ITER around large SC Dupondius, Rome AD 23 13,64 gr / 30 mm RIC Tiberius 43, BMCRE Tiberius 98, CBN Tiberius 74, Cohen 1 I never dared to post my old Livia, because it likely is my worst coin. But here it is anyway: IVSTITIA - Diademed and draped bust of Livia, as Iustitia, right TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVG P M TR POT XXIIII around large S C Dupondius, Rome a.D. 22 Du you think I can do something wrong to that coin by choosing it as the subject of my very first attempt in coin cleaning?
I purchased one about as bad of her hubby. It wasn't a lot of money but still probably paid too much.It will make a great gift though. If anyone can make out the moneyer's name please let me know, Thanks
Yes, attractive coin. A Livia is always a good buy ! Livia (+ AD 29), Dupondius Rome mint, AD 22-23 under the reign of Tiberius SALVS AVGVSTA, draped bust of Salus (Livia) right TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVG P M TR POT XXIIII, around large S C 13.90 g, 27 mm,. Ref : RCV # 1740 (450), Cohen # 5 (6), RIC I, 47. Ex Auctiones.GmbH Q
One of my greatest coin regrets was selling this beauty some years ago. My knowledge of cleaning is purely theoretical, I've done very little myself. But from the notes I've gleaned over time, I gather that orichalcum is particularly difficult to clean. Red-brown deposits are probably copper oxide, ultrasonic might help but probably not. I would leave it, even given your preference for brassiness.
That's a great upgrade. The contrast in the toning/patina compensates nicely for the pitting, as it draws one's eye to the design. In fact, thanks to the attractive coloration, the pitting on the surfaces fades into a minor consideration and becomes mere "character", rather than being a distraction as it might otherwise have been. I had a Livia in my first Roman collection but never had pix of it. It had better surfaces, but it was much more heavily worn than either of your two. It was pretty much a "smoothie" with just the outline of her bust. I heartily approve of your upgrade, and daresay I actually find it appealing. Usually porosity and pitting turns me away. Not this time!
I don't think there is much to clean on that coin. It's worn and covered with a very thick patina, but I don't see any dirt or encrustation. You might uncover a little more detail by zapping it via electrolysis, but at the cost of revealing a lot of surface pitting. You could also lose a lot of the reverse inscription. The thing about electrolysis is that it's more or less all or nothing. Removing some of the patina, exposing the bare surface metal in some places but not others, generally makes a coin look worse. So once some of the patina starts to fall off you usually want to take it all off. It this were a common LRB, I'd say: "Why not? Give it a try." But with a coin this rare, I wouldn't mess with it. You are more likely to ruin it than improve it.
I tend to agree. Leave the old Livia alone, sell it as-is, and use whatever you get from the sale to buy something else fun, while you bask in the warmth of knowing you made a nice upgrade.
I LOVE the OP up-grade and all the subsequent posts!! That would be one of my greatest regrets as well. But I had to sell off my original collection years ago and still shudder at the thought----definitely the stuff of nightmares I'd be tempted to clean it but I agree with the others and think any attempt would do far more harm than good. OK, here's a budget example that I picked up simply because it was available one late night and i saw a reference to LIVIA
Wow, nice Dup @Julius Germanicus ! Love the color. How about a Diobol of Livia? RI Alexandria Livia, w Augustus Diobol CE 1-2 Æ 23.5mm 7.46g. Rev. Athena holding Nike Sheild ex Dattari-Savio Pl. 3 60-this coin RPC pag. 692-5-this coin RARE
