Reassessing and re-photographing my first coin

This Alexander tetradrachm has a unique place in my heart as it was my first ever collectable coin. I got it from an actual brick and mortar shop called Coin Craft, which is an old and established family business just across the street from the British Museum. I was very excited when I got it as I was fascinated to hold a piece of real history.

As the time progressed though and got more experienced in the collecting circles and markets, my excitement toned down a bit and I started focusing on the coin's defects rather than its merits. It has a perfect reverse, but I was unhappy about the obverse strike and surface deposits. Also, when I got more familiar with the prices these normally fetch, I started to think that I had slightly overpaid at around £450. At the end, this coin got earmarked for an upgrade.

It didn't help that my first attempts to photograph the coin were far from perfect. They were actually rather bad and didn't do the coin justice, and as I got to see the photos more often than the actual coin, it contributed to my 'dislike' of the coin. Here is the old pic that I also used in Cointalk.



That was until recently, when I decided to take the coin out and re-photograph it so I have a proper pic for my records. Immediately I realised that the coin was actually much nicer than I remembered. I have seen many Alex tets since I first got it, and I can't recall many that had such an amazing reverse. And the obverse was not bad either. The strike may be a bit off, but it is a strong one with lovely flow lines. And the deposits are not as bad as I thought. But more about them later. Here is the new photo. I believe it brings out the details much better. I had to play with the contrast a bit, as it is a naturally shiny coin and it came out too bright. Technology-wise it is still a primitive photo. Just a mobile phone camera rested on a book (Historia Numorum) for stability and constant distance for the obverse/reverse takes.



I now have taken this coin out of my 'to be upgraded' list. I am very happy with it. And the price has caught up as well. I think that in any major auction it would get its money back, but I am not planning on selling it. My only minor question is about the deposits. After spending so much time reading CoinTalk, I have come to identify the thin brown/grey substance as 'horny silver' (that's the common term I think). My research indicates that a chemical called Sodium Thiosulphate (commonly found in pool cleaners) might take it out. Is that true? Is it safe? Is there any point risking it? I thought that as the reverse is so well cleaned, whoever did the job could not get rid off the deposits, so what hope do I have succeeding? And to be honest I don't mind about them that much anymore, so I wonder what your advice is.

Feel free to comment and post any coins in your collection that was out of favour but is back in your good books again.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Historia Numorum is a reasonable choice for a phone support. The extreme closeness makes it hard to get nice soft light in there to make the coin look less harsh. I would suggest trying again with no light directed at the coin and just ambient, non-directional room light.

Sodium thiosulphate once was available everywhere since it was used as 'fixer' for photographic film and prints before digital made people forget why they bought it. As a photo technician, I have nearly bathed in it so consider it safe. If the coin were mine, I would try cleaning it but I have not had any access to 'fixer' since I went digital in 2000.

I have a much later Aridos tet. Mine is fourree and I have twice informed auction houses that there is a die duplicate to mine that has even less core exposure but weighs only about 11g. I know its owner made at least two tries to sell it to people as solid but I do not know what happened to the coin after the last time I saw it. That one is centered a bit higher and shows the date OE (75) in exergue.

 

P.O.M., Your 2nd pair of photos is a vast improvement over the 1st ones ! The details are sharper & the contrast of the reliefs to the fields is stronger on the 2nd set. Pictured below are photos of a Celtic Tet I did a long time ago. The 2nd set of photos I did this year with a Canon Rebel digital 35 mm.

 

An authentic one for comparison:

Alexander III, the Great; 336-323 B.C. AR tetradrachm (29mm; 16.78 gm; 12h). Arados mint, 236/5 B.C. Obv: Hd. of Herakles right wearing lion’s skin headdress. Rev: ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ. Zeus seated left on backless throne holding eagle in right hand and scepter in his left. To left, palm tree. “AP” monogram below throne. In exergue, date: Year 24. Price 3371.

 

It looks like a nice Tetradrachm to me, @Only a Poor Old Man. If it were my coin, I probably wouldn't risk the sodium thiosulfate.

Based on a few experiments with lesser coins, it is not without risk. I would consider: "What is underneath the blackened areas?". You may find a surface defect that you like less than the current shading.

Here's a tetradrachm from Arados, which I couldn't resist for its portrait of Alexander and reverse figure of Zeus, both of which seem more human/mortal than usual.

Macedonia, Arados Civic Issue, 191/0 BC, issued in the name of Alexander III ‘the Great’, Tetradrachm (Silver, 29 mm, 17.11 g, 1 h), Arados, CY 69 = 191/0
Obv: Head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress
Rev: AΛEΞANΔPOY Zeus seated left on low throne, holding long scepter in his left hand and eagle standing right with closed wings in his right; to left, palm tree; below throne, monogram of AP; in exergue, ΞΘ
Ref: Price 3401

 

I’ve cleaned many silver coins over the years, and would suggest not cleaning this one yourself. This specific horn silver (AgCl) configuration is difficult to clean- that is, more difficult than the other types of AgCl deposits that you might encounter.

These less sharply demarcated deposits often react less with sodium thiosulphate (anhydrate) than the thicker deposits. I have not tested it formally, but it may be of a different composition (probably a combination of silver sulphate and silver chlorides)

If you happen to live nearby, I would be happy to restore it for you, free of charge. Send me a Pm

 

I’ve just finished these two coins for a friend, prior to consigning them to Roma: