Valens , AE3, Siscia Just finished

Attached are photos of a Valens I just finished. It may need some smoothing. Comments encouraged.
Valens, AE3, Siscia. 367-375 AD.

DN VALEN-S PF AVG, pearl diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right.
SECVRITAS-REIPVBLICAE, Victory advancing left, holding wreath and palm.
Star over P in left field, dot over M in right field.
Mintmark ASISC.

RIC IX Siscia 15b, type xviii.
Rated C3

 

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Here's mine:

 

How do you smooth a coin? I have a few that are quite rough and could benefit from that. But I don't know how to do it.

 

I use an extremely fine grit diamond dust pins. Like a dentist drill only finer. Very, very lightly back and forth across rough parts.
Here is where I got them. http://www.romanorum.com/ancientcoincleaningkit.html

 

I have a diamond dusted pick but found that all it did was produce hairline scratches. Perhaps I’m not doing it right.

Please post some pics if you end up smoothing this one!

 

Be careful. Don't use them on anything that has silver or silvering.

 

As far as I want to go with this one.

 

Before you use anything made of steel or with diamond, you might go to a hardware store or hobby shop and pick up a brass rod and then file one end down into a point. Brass is softer than bronze and won't scratch it, but it will remove of lot of the dirt. Certain patinas, though, can be softer than brass, so you need to test it first to make sure you don't scratch the patina.

 

I've heard some people using a fiberglass "pencil" to clean surfaces, especially on sand patinas.

Have you any experience with that?

 

No, I've never tried one.