I obtained this neat Provincia Dacia Trajan Decius. Unfortunately, the seller seems to like running his coins through a rock tumbler or something, and I have seen several coins with encrusted, but smooth surfaces. I decided I didn't like the look, especially on the reverse. So I dunked it in lye for several hours and I got this result! Which do you like better? I personally like the new detail, but the color is a bit odd now. This is a nice thick 27mm example of Moushmov Dacia 10
Wow that is quite a transformation. I do like the detail on the post-dip. How much pitting did it leave though?
Surprisingly, not as bad as I sort of expected. It's always hard to tell how much pitting hides beneath the encrustation and the artificial patina All the green/light colored dots are areas of pitting. There's no bronze disease as far as I can tell which is great. Overall the pitting isn't the worst thing, and I value overall detail more than pitting (though give me a nonpitted coin and I'll sell my soul...)
Just the regular sodium hydroxide from the hardware store. I forget the brand, but it said “100% Household Lye”
Impressive. Right out of the "what not to do for bronze coins" textbook, but it just shows that there is an exception to every rule. While the color is worse the newly exposed details more than make up for it in my opinion. SC
