Pretty Dirty Coins

Nice coins that are squeaky clean are easy to find. Nice coins that still retain some great dirt or grime... and look better with it, are a bit rarer.

I realize this super sweet GIII is about as common as they come but I really like the way it looks. I like that it looks ancient. I like that it has aged gracefully. I think it looks much better like this than it would blast-silver bright and cleaned. I wouldn't think of cleaning it.

To those maybe new to ancients... Dirt, toning and patina add character to a coin and are part of its history. Many coins do not need to be cleaned and are even more special if they aren't.

Let's see your pretty dirty coins. Thanks!



Gordian III
Obv: IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG - Radiate
bust right, draped and cuirassed.
Rev: AEQVITAS AVG - Equity standing left, holding scales and cornucopia.
Rome mint: April-September AD 239 (3rd & 4th Issues, 1st Officina)
RIC IViii, 34 - Cohen 17

 

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Within the realm of ancient Chinese coins, you have a lot of pretty dirty coins.

 

Nice eye appeal Gordian III, one of mine that is definitely better with the mess left on and I will never clean is this Postumus.

 

This is a great topic and a great OP coin. I have a thing for multicolored silvered antoniniani and folii, typically found in large hoards. Here are the two examples from a 1000+ 1990s hoard.

 

Here's a TD sestertius I can't bring myself to clean:

 

There are two kinds of uncleaned coins: those that might look better cleaned and those that definitely would look worse. There are two kinds of cleaned coins: those that were improved by cleaning and those what were impaired. It is easier to learn the difference between these second groups after the fact than it is the first before. There are two kinds of people who clean coins: those whith a chance of success and those doomed to fail. I am in the latter group. While I approve of NOT cleaning any of the above, I especially would not touch that Decius sestertius. I believe it would be easy to make it worse and unlikely to improve. I know I could wash the dirt out of the rough spots and ruin it.

Have faith, some coins can recover from cleaning in only fifty years. Act in haste, repent in leisure. Scratches last forever.

 

Hope this coin of Claudius II is as pretty as " dirty ". It reads VIRTUS on reverse.

 

PURDY-DIRTY:


RR AR Quinarius 89 BCE M Porcius Cato Crawford 343-2. Sear 248-OFFICIAL

 

This Anastasius small module follis is rather dirty

 

Looks like a washer drawer

 

You got to get some coins without holes. The bank has some

 

My latest favorite...Owl tet with find patina. Athena is one dirty girl!



ATTICA, Athens
AR Tetradrachm, 22x27mm, 17.1g, 12h; c. 454-404 BC.
Obv.: Head of Athena wearing crested helmet right.
Rev.: Owl standing right, head facing, olive sprig and crescent behind; all within incuse square; AΘE to right.
Reference: Kroll 8, SNG Lockett 1842.
Ex-Kerry Wetterstrom

 

I like the old cabinet toning on this coin and would never dream of dipping it.

I also like how the flan has cracked at various points around its circumference from striking; it gives it that hand-crafted, ancient look.


Faustina I, AD 138-141
Roman AR denarius, 3.40 g, 19.7 mm, 5 h
Rome, AD 147-161
Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA, bare-headed and draped bust, right
Rev: AVGV STA, Ceres standing left, holding torch and short vertical scepter
Refs: RIC 356; BMCRE 399; Cohen 96; RCV --; CRE 82.

 

Will not be touching this Gallienus / Mercury. Perfect just as it is

 

Nice one

 

Does this count? I love the patina on this one as well. Very slightly crusty like Chinese coins.

 

There's a lot to like there! Thats an amazing collection, including lots of nice colors/patinas. I need to study up and add some Chinese coins to my collection, thanks for sharing!

Those antoniniani are amazing! It looks like they came right out of the pot they were found in... to your camera. It would be a crime to clean those.

I really like that tetradrachm. I had never seen one with a dark find patina before this one. A special coin!

And that Gallienus @TJC, very nice. I love those Antioch issues.... so much nicer than the Rome mint coins.

@Roman Collector That Faustina II is awesome as well. I have nightmares about people taking great coins like these and polishing them.

@Alegandron Coins Coins from the republic that still have toning or grime are hard to find. Great coin!

@randygeki I love that Constantine... Ostia didn't stay open long as a mint after Maxentius did it? I have one of these from Rome but have been looking to get one like this from Ostia... Nice coin!

@Caesar_Augustus Great emerald patina there. I have yet to have a coin of Anastasius... I need to work on that.

@Ancient Aussie Yeah that Postumus is great the way it is... sometimes you can't improve something that took 1800 years to get where it is. I've swung and missed at many of these galleys... someday, I'll catch one.

@7Calbrey I have a soft spot for Claudius II coins and that's a nice one. The obverse bust is really nice for his coins.

 

I really like these dirty coins - that OP Gordian is one of the nicest I've seen, since toned Gordies are pretty hard to find, it seems to me. Most of mine are (too) shiny.

Here is an Aurelian ORIENS AVGG that has silvering and orange stuff on it. One of the reasons I like dirt is that it tends to depress prices on eBay. I paid $3.25 for this and have no plans to clean it (or in my case, probably ruin it).





Aurelian Antoninianus
(c. 270-275 A.D.)
Rome Mint
IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, radiate, cuirassed bust right / ORIENS AVG, Sol walking
left, holding globe and raising right hand, foot on one of two bound captives. Mintmark X. RIC 62, X; Cohen 154.
(4.22 grams / 24 mm)

 

Cool club. I got to get me one of those

 

I wouldn't clean these. Especially the Gordian.