Hello all, I recently stumbeled across a coin collection of various roman, gaullic, french, etc, coins. They were all in an attic, and I am wondering if I am supposed to clean them or keep them in their condition? Also, how do you best storage coins to protect them? A few coins are framed, but in an old fashion way, and I was thinking something more modern. Also, how do you value coins? Thanks in advance Here are some of the finds: http://img811.imageshack.us/i/p1000229o.jpg/ http://img299.imageshack.us/i/p1000233.jpg/ http://img413.imageshack.us/i/p1000254w.jpg/ http://img401.imageshack.us/i/p1040380a.jpg/ http://img842.imageshack.us/i/p1040381.jpg/ http://img838.imageshack.us/i/p1040386.jpg/
As said - no cleaning ! And the second one - image ....1000233.jpg, that is not a coin. I'm pretty sure it's a jeton (a gaming token).
229o also is not what it might appear to be. It shows Julius Caesar but is a token or medallion from modern times. The group photos are no use for ID but appear to be ordinary late Romans. I saw one that could be Gallienus c.268 and another from the later part of the fourth century so that is probably the range. Don't clean them. You could easily take them from being worth a dollar each to a dime (being generous). There always is the chance that some are scarce but that would require individual close ups of both sides of each coin.
So how can you can tell it's a toke or a medallion instead of a coin? I will visit the attic again next weekend, and my mission will be to take photos of all coins (both sides) and post them here. And as you can see they are showed in a terrible fashion, how would you recommend I store them for display?
Style. Ancient coins were made without modern machines, engraved with a style of art matching the era and in sizes appropriate for the period. The Caesar has the look of a 19 century coin in all these respects rather than something from the 1st century BC but the most certain thing is the fabric of a machine made, round, low relief coin. It is collectable as a sign of the interest in ancient times during the perio it was produced but it is not ancient itself. Some of these even have really odd characteristics like dates in Roman Numerals followed by 'BC'.
