A while back I got a batch of fourree denarii. I've never been too interested in them, but sometimes you can get some cool/rare types for cheaper than a regular silver version. This is a rather interesting ARAB ADIAB reverse with Victory lugging a trophy. Started off with what I thought were some minerals, but turned out to be rather flaky and powdering bronze disease..... I was soaking a whole ton of other coins in sodium hydroxide at the same time, so I just tossed this in as well and hoped for the best. Fortunately, the lye had zero material impact on the surfaces or details, and killed off all of the active BD. There is a bit of dull greenish-blue, but it appears to be inert, and all the BD has been killed. Not a super pretty coin, but with fourrees, what can one expect. If anybody has a regular silver ARAB ADIAB or similar reverse, I'd love to see it!
I've never seen a Victory reverse like that before. Thanks for sharing. Glad you were able to save it
This is as close as I can show. ex. Andy Singer, 1994. These are not the finest grade silver and I am less than 100% convinced yours is fourree rather than just poor silver, poorly weathered and harshly cleaned. Mine has scattered black deposits that might clean up properly treated but I never tried. L SEPT SEV PE - RT AVG IMP VII / ARAB ADI AB COS II PP RIC 64
Doug, that's a great point. I'm simply not sure myself. I bought in a lot of mixed fourree and limes denarii. My 7S above has either a copper/bronze core, or, like you said, horridly mixed "silver" alloy. The surface is rather grayish, and appears to have breaks in what I initially figured to be the "silver" plating. However, I believe 7S wasn't unknown for producing some awful low silver/poorly mixed alloys. Long story short - I don't know; I used context clues from the rest of the lot to figure its a fourree and/or limes.
Also, I feel like a few minutes in sodium thiosulfate should get that black right off with no impact on the surfaces or fabric
I can see places on the op where silver plate appears to be curling back next to a corroded area. I would describe it as a fourrée.
I tend to agree with you. My only issue is, what the heck kind of "silver" is this??? I mean, that's some god-awful alloy that barely even looks silver. Did they make fourrees with base metal plating??
Nice restoration work. Here's another RIC 64: Septimius Severus Denarius (195-196 A.D.) Rome Mint L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP VII, laureate head right / ARAB ADIAB [COS II PP], Victory walking left holding wreath and trophy. RIC 64; RSC III 50 (3.04 grams / 16 mm)
I looked through my old photos of coins that I no longer own. I found two examples of Victory walking left with wreath and trophy in my Septimius Severus folder, which contains 31 coins of S.S. I do not have size or weight information about these coins. I assume both have ARAB ADIAB - COS II PP for the reverse inscription. On this first one it looks like ARAB ADIAB is unbroken. BTW, that's not a fourree or lamination issue on the reverse, it's just some weird chemical discoloration that got exaggerated in the photo. This one's pretty beat, but it appears that the wreath separates ARAB from ADIAB:
