I am not sure why noone else bid on this lot on ebay tonight? the seller says there are 37 coins, most fused together....I can see some nice thick provincial or Ptolemaic coins with the lathe holes and assuming they are fused hoard coins, in theory the coins under the grime, 'should' be ok? Am I an idiot? is there a reason noone else wanted them? any uncleaned coin for about 30p seems like a bargain to me......even if only one or two clean up...I'll keep you all posted.
Most people are probably lazy and felt it would be too much effort to clean them. That or they believed what was showing was all you were going to get out of the coin.
Cleaning ancient coins is a different hobby altogether from collecting. You probably have far more experience cleaning coins than anyone on this forum, so I doubt any of us could judge your decision one way or another. Obviously you saw something worth your time in the lot.
Lets hope so JA...... Not sure my coin cleaning experience is greater than some here, but I enjoy the process and if just one turns out ok its worth it. I think the fact they are stuck together makes it interesting.....usually the facing sides will be superb once carefully seperated. Maybe they are more interesting as fused coins? I'll await their arrival and see what they are like in hand.....
I lost my patience with coin cleaning. Mainly because I didn't have the necessary tools to do it properly. I do have a couple coins still that I have promised myself I will clean up one day.
I have myself all set up with a variety of methods at my disposal WB.....pretty much covering all eventualities....from softly softly to 'now you have asked for it you stubborn little bronze runt!' The most important tool is 'time' which i find I have less and less of nowadays.
I'm pretty sure that you have "slightly" more than, oh...MOST EVERY ONE ELSE ON THIS FORUM COMBINED!!!
This is your chance to prove you are right. I would not pay $13 for what I see there and would expect most look better now than they would after I cleaned them. I am not a cleaner. I will be anxious to see what you get out of them and will continue to regret your not being able to share the secrets of cleaning if you can make any one of these coins worth $13. I see one Byzantine. How many will be identifiable?
Chances are I'll be wrong....but I like it when the odds are stacked against me, and for £13 I can learn something at the very least. There is only one method which I do not share, the rest is there on the internet. I imagine these will require chemicals. Most methods show decent results if the coins are hoard material, because usually they have had the protection of a container for the best part of their stay in the ground. if these are fused, I dont see how they can be anything other than hoard material? but again I may be wrong. We'll see.....................
i don't know if there's much to clean up there...i don't see much in the way of loose stuff that i think would come off. i am intrigued by those big fat probably ptolemy coins, please keep us posted. what is 13 gbp, about 20 usd? i think you'll get 20 bucks of fun there one way or the other YOC.
often hoard deposit is not loose or crumbly, but rock hard green crust which forms when the coins are sat next to each other. As you rightly say, theres 20 bucks worth of fun here all day long. I have been told that the coins are from a hoard found in Israel and sold originally by crusty roman coins, which is where I got my byzantine cup coins (also stuck together). 37 coins to clean.......if 5 are attributable, then I would be happy with that as a starter....
ok, honest update and end of thread........ Coins arrived today.......complete trash...no detail under the grime....hands up on this one, I messed up. When I get it wrong.......I admit it.
