Just got this in the mail and loving that iridiscent toning. Would like to see other members' coins with standout patinas! Rasiel
WoWiE! Incredible coin and brilliant toning Might I ask how you got such a great capture of the toning? Here's a couple RRs and a Greek that I'm pretty happy with:
I dunno, I don't find that this type of toning is hard to photograph. It's just, I think, rare to find it so strong. This is pretty common with modern silver, especially Morgans. I'm not 100% convinced these rainbowy sheens are ancient. The conditions necessary for it to happen naturally pretty much requires a bunch of silver coins to be tightly spaced in a low-oxygen environment; ie. a hoard. And seeing that people like this type of toning it's tempting to just do it artificially. Here's a couple more from my collection: Rasiel
Here's one with a light green patina that I thought was really attractive. There's so many weird possibilities with copper!
985 - 1014 AD AE Stater issued under Rajaraja I of the Chola Dynasty Ruled southern India, much of Sri Lanka, and the Maldives Some of the patina, especially on the reverse, may quite possibly be bronze disease
Beautiful! I don’t own many silver coins—most are bronze. This is probably the most alluring as far as tonality.
I'm a sucker for iridescence . I showed some of my favorites in the "Toned Ancients..." thread from a few weeks ago but here they are again : SICILY, Selinos Circa 410 BCE AR litra, 11mm, 0.76 g, 1h Obv: nymph seated left on rock, right hand raised above her head, extending her left hand to touch coiled serpent before her; selinon leaf above Rev: man-faced bull standing right; ΣEΛINONTIOΣ above; in exergue, fish right Ref: Potamikon, p. 116 figure 152 (this coin); HGC 2, 1229; SNG ANS 711–2 var. (ethnic); SNG Ashmolean 1904–5; SNG Lloyd 1270 var. (same); Basel –; Dewing –; Rizzo pl. XXXIII, 6. Good VF, dark iridescent tone, some porosity. Rare. ex MoneyMuseum, Zurich; ex Leu 79 (31 October 2000), lot 404; ex Athos Moretti collection, #482, unpublished manuscript KINGS OF MACEDON, Philip II. 356-336 BCE AR tetradrachm. 24mm, 14.20 gm, 12h Pella, 342-336 BCE Obv: Laureate head of Zeus right Rev: ΦIΛIΠ-ΠOY, youth, holding palm and reins, on horseback right, thunderbolt below, N in exergue Ref: Le Rider 222-306. SNG ANS 385-95 ex Colosseo Collection KINGS OF MACEDON, Alexander III AR tetradrachm, 17.14 gm late lifetime issue, struck in Aradus c. 324/3 BCE Obv: Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress. Rev: BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ; Zeus seated left, holding eagle and scepter; I in left field; AP monogram below throne Ref: Price 3325 ex Colosseo Collection CORINTHIA, Corinth circa 375-300 BCE AR stater, 22 mm, 8.55 g, 1h Obv: Pegasus flying left; qoppa below Rev: helmeted head of Athena left; A-P flanking neck truncation; to right, chimaera rampant left Ref: Ravel 1010; Pegasi 428; BCD Corinth 102; HGC 4, 1848 ex CNG Inventory 828126 (November, 2008) ex Gorny & Mosch 170 (13 October 2008), lot 1381 ex Giessener Münzhandlung 21 (22 March 1982), lot 37 Roman Republic moneyer L. Julius L. f. Caesar, 103 BC AR denarius, 17mm, 3.9 gm Obv: Helmeted head of Mars left; CAESAR; ・C (retrograde) Rev: Venus Genetrix in chariot left, drawn by two Cupids; lyre to left; ・C (retrograde) above Ref: Crawford 320/1 ex RBW Collection Roman Republic, the Pompeians L. Cornelius Lentulus and C. Claudius Marcellus Military mint in the East (Apollonia and Asia), 49 BC AR denarius, 19 mm, 3.8 gm Obv: Triskeles, with winged head of Medusa facing at center; stalk of grain between each leg Rev: Jupiter standing facing, head right, holding thunderbolt in right hand and eagle on left; LE(NT) (MAR) upward to left, COS upward to right Ref: Crawford 445/1b; Sydenham 1029a ROMAN REPUBLIC, M. Piso M.f. Frugi 58 BCE (redated from Crawford's 61 BCE by Hersh and Walker, 1984) AR denarius, 20 mm, 3.94 gm Obv: terminal bust of Mercury right, wearing winged diadem; calix below chin; to left, star above wreath; dotted border Rev: M·PISO·M·F / FRVGI above secespita (sacrificial knife) and patera; all within laurel wreath Ref: Crawford 418/2b; Sydenham 825; Calpurnia 23 formerly slabbed, NGC https://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-different-frugi.279241/ Lucilla Empress CE 163-169, wife of Lucius Verus AR denarius, 19 mm, 3.25 gm Obv: LVCILLA AVGVSTA; draped bust right Rev: PVDICITIA; Pudicitia, veiled, standing left, with right hand preparing to draw a veil across her face (or had she just drawn the veil off her face?), left hand at side Ref: RIC III 780 Septimius Severus Rome, CE 206 AR denarius, 3.41 gm, 20 mm, 12h Obv: SEVERVS PIVS AVG, laureate head right Rev: LAETITIA TEMPORVM, the spina of the Circus Maximus decorated as a ship facing left, with the turning posts at its prow and stern, a sail mounted on the central obelisk, and the spina's other monuments visible in between; above the ship, four quadrigas racing left; below, seven animals: an ostrich at left and a bear at right; between them a lion and a lioness chasing a wild ass and a panther attacking a bison Ref: RIC 274; BMC 343. ex Colosseo Collection
ANONYMOUS ROMAN REPUBLIC AR Didrachm OBVERSE: Helmeted head of Mars left, oak-sprig behind REVERSE: ROMANO on tablet below head of bridled horse right, ear of wheat behind Struck at Metapontum, 280-276 BC 19 mm, 6.55g Cr13/1, Syd 1
@TIF's iridescent coins are a hard act to follow - The Alex III and Lucilla are pretty amazing too. Here's a nice denarius with "old cabinet patina". Appius Claudius Pulcher, T. Manlius Mancius, and Q. Urbinius. 111-110 BC. AR Denarius, Rome mint Obv: Helmeted head of Roma right; quadrangular device to left Rev: Victory driving triga right Ref: Crawford 299/1b; Sydenham 570a; Mallia 2 In 111 BC, the Temple of Magna Mater was destroyed by fire and in 110 Jughurtha defeated the Romans when Consul Spurius Postumus Albinus invaded Numidia for a second time...although his victory didn't stand for too long (livius.org)
I'm a big fan of coins with nice "old collection" toning: Roman Republic AR Quinarius(16mm, 2.28 g, 12h). Anonymous. After 211 B.C. Uncertain(perhaps Apulian?) mint. Head of Roma right, wearing winged helmet ornamented with griffin's head and three-piece visor, earring an necklace; behind, V. Border of dots / Dioscuri on horseback riding right, each holding couched spear and wearing chlamys, cuirass and pileus surmounted by star; in relief in linear frame, ROMA. Line border. Crawford 45/2; Russo RBW 180; Sydenham 169. Ex CNG Triton XXII, 1/9/2018, lot 787, ex Alan J Harlan collection, purchased from Spink & Son Roman Republic AR quinarius(16.3mm, 1.94g, 12h). Anonymous. ca. 212-196 B.C. Apulian mint. Helmeted head of Roma right, V behind / ROMA, the Dioscuri riding right, each holds a spear; H below. Crawford 85/1a; Sydenham 174; RSC 33b; Russo RBW 347. Ex RBW Collection, ex Malter XXX(Frederick Hastings Rindge collection, assembled in the 19th century), lot 1473, 6/7/1985. A scarcer stylistic variety of the type above, probably struck a little later: Roman Republic AR quinarius(2.16g, 16mm, 9h). Anonymous. ca. 212-196 B.C. Apulian mint. Helmeted head of Roma right, V behind / ROMA, the Dioscuri riding right, each holds a spear; H below. Crawford 85/1a; Sydenham 174; RSC 33b; Russo RBW 348/NAC 61 lot 356(these dies) Roman Republic AR Victoriatus(17 mm, 2.54g, 7h). Anonymous("VB" series). ca. 211-208 B.C. Uncertain mint(traditionally, Vibo Valentia). Laureate head of Jupiter right. Border of dots / Victory standing right, crowning trophy with wreath; VB ligate on exergue between. ROMA in exergue. Line border. Crawford 95/1a; BMCRR Italy 233; Russo RBW 389 Roman Republic AR Denarius(4.04g, 18mm). M·IVNI(Marcus Junius Silanus?) series, 145 B.C., Rome mint. Helmeted head of Roma right; behind, ass's head; before, X. Border of dots / Dioscuri galloping right; below, M·IVNI; in exergue, ROMA. Crawford 220/1 From the Stevens family collection, formed during and shortly after the Second World War
A very nicely toned coin @Suarez. Overall, lovely coins posted. I have two denarii with a sort of golden toning in my collection. But overall I am more fond of the green stuff! A denarius and dupondius posted as examples. Gold for the emperor! Still deposits on the reverse. I dont intend to remove it though.