EXTREME MAKEOVER

Just for fun: I have always liked these BEFORE AND AFTER pictures. And you ? Here are a few of them:

HOUSES:



BODIES:



TEETH:



AND...COINS ! :





This sestertius of Claudius I SPES AVGVSTA was first sold in 2016, offered a year later by another auction house after "restoration", and which sees its final price multiplied by 8, or more than 4,800 $. A lot of make-up my friends, you can even see the brushstrokes on the reverse !

 

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Ouch.
I'd rather have the original than the "restored" one.
Too many filters and airbrushing these days...

 

Wow. Even though its not technically original, you have to admit it looks a lot better! I wonder how they made it look so clean?

 

So would it be considered a tooled coin?

 

It's expertly tooled. Whether the coin is ruined or improved is up to you.

 

Tremendously so! A terrible swindle!

 

Wow. Someone got ripped off.
I'm guessing, that the 2017 auction, didn't do a careful search on ACsearch, before they listed the coin.
In the auction listing for the 2017 auction, I see that the coin is described as "somewhat smoothed". That's all. No mention of tooling or filling.
Perhaps the auction house didn't notice the tooling or filling.
I guess, if I hadn't seen the earlier photos of the coin, I would have maybe guessed, that the coin had possibly been smoothed. But I would have never guessed, that the coin had been tooled and filled.
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I would say, that the coin has been tooled, in the following areas :
Obverse : hair, ribbons behind neck, mouth, front of chest, back of neck
Reverse : outstretched arm, cap, hair, clothing
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I would say, that the coin has been smoothed, in the following areas :
Obverse : field
Reverse : field
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And, finally, it looks like the someone put some sort of filler, in the following areas :
Obverse : cheekbone, shoulder
Reverse : field near outstretched arm
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Would I buy the "coin"?
Maybe for $5, to remove the "coin" from the market, and to destroy the "coin". Or maybe to keep the "coin" as evidence of this numismatic crime. Or maybe to try to figure out, what the perpetrators used, to fill in the holes.
1. Who knows, what they used, for the filler? Putty? Clay? Plaster? Lead solder? Paint?
2. For this coin type, there are plenty of authentic coins in existence. There is no need, for such a monstrosity to exist. Such behavior should not be rewarded, in my opinion.
3. If the coin type were unique, then perhaps the now-altered coin should be saved, but with documentation, about what was done to the coin, with "before" and "after" photos. However, even if the coin type were unique, the coin should never have been altered in the first place, in my opinion.
4. It would be nice, if someone, perhaps the auction house, perhaps the "numismatic police" (is there such a thing?), could investigate this, to try to figure out, who altered the coin, and whether that person sold the coin, without telling the buyer, that the coin was tooled and filled. Perhaps the name of the perpetrator could be made public. I'll bet, that this isn't the only coin, to which the perpetrator has done this. If multiple instances of such alterations, could be linked to one person, and if that could be made public, then that would set an example.

 

The apparent lesson here is to always wear gloves when doctoring coins! Note the fingerprints in the resin at the edge near Spes' head and in the left field. Maybe Scotland Yard should have a look?

 

This is NOT restoration. This is altering a piece of history.
While they are at it please, Jack wagons, go ahead and fix her head and arms:


And his *yes its a he, nose, beard and body:


And remove that mole while their at it!


If you can't tell I strongly feel this is a disgrace to the ancients. There are a finite amount of Claudius sestertius for people to deface. Should be criminal.

 

That Claudius sestertius not only had makeup applied, but also plastic surgery and reconstructive surgery, along with a nice long stint in ICU Recovery. I'd hate to see the medical tab for those jobs. I hope it had health insurance.

The before and after photos are stunning and, as the aphorism goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words". I hope that the auction house that sold this coin fully disclosed its condition, but I suspect probably not.

 

The auction house listing just says "somewhat smoothed". Perhaps the auction house didn't notice the tooling and filling.
2016 Auction : https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=2928068
2017 Auction : https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=4386312

 

What I want to know is what they used for filler on that coin. So now we have to worry not only about smoothing and tooling but metal filler, that's like botox on Bezos face? I'm sorry but I consider that an amoral defacement. What auction house? Name them and shame them!

PS. Ah, Berto-lame. They suck deluxe....

 

What's troubling is the alternation of a coin to appear as something that it originally was not, in this case a sestertius that was originally in a state of so many ancient coins: dark, with some pits, somewhat rough surfaces and some deposits - what you'd expect - and then done over to appear as if it was stored in someone's safety deposit box for over 2,000 years, virtually untouched by time, near perfection.

That is deception in the extreme.

 

- Broucheion

 

And for you cat lovers ....



- Broucheion

 

That's egregious. It's a complete misrepresentation of what it used to be.

 

It's now an F/X collage...

 

@Ocatarinetabellatchitchix - interesting ... and depressing.
Claudius's head is rather different in my own example

 

What percentage of high value coins *aren't* tampered with?

Do you like this Antinous? Lovely green patina and nice heroic bust, right?


Well here's what he looked like earlier when he was sold by CNG: