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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;SeptimusT, post: 2980167, member: 91240&quot;]A little while ago I posted this coin in the cleaning advice thread. It was incredibly corroded when given to me by an archaeologist friend, covered in hard mineral deposits that even a dental pick couldn&#039;t touch. So I turned to glue as a last resort, and revealed a far better coin than I expected underneath. Harsh, but it was the kind of coin that most people would have no hope at all for.</p><p><br /></p><p>At any rate, I just got around to trying to figure out what it was, and lo and behold, I think it might be something very unusual. It is an Arcadius Salvs Reipvblicae from Aquileia, but when I put the devices into Helvetia&#039;s RIC table, I saw that it apparently has an R5 rating in RIC (only one other known example). It&#039;s worn, with an uneven patina, but I&#039;m still surprised.</p><p><br /></p><p>If my ID is correct, it is RIC IX Aquileia 58c var, with a cross in the left field, and an AQ mint mark. It&#039;s hard to photograph (using an iPhone, at least) due to the reverse wear and uneven patina, but I tried to illuminate it better by taking a shot lit from the side. It&#039;s much easier to make out in hand.</p><p><br /></p><p>Is my ID correct? And if so, what should I do with it? I don&#039;t want to risk harming it for further cleaning, but I feel sad that the patina came out so unevenly, possibly due to how I removed the crud. Ren Wax might bring out more detail, but I wonder if the uneven patina might tone if left out for a while. There&#039;s still a mineral deposit on the obverse left field that I&#039;m afraid to touch. On the other hand, I comfort myself by thinking that someone at some point culled it because of its condition, and that it&#039;d never have seen the light of day otherwise...</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]733182[/ATTACH]</p><p><b>Obverse</b>: DN ARCADIVS PF AVG, diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right</p><p><b>Reverse</b>: SALVS REIPVBLICAE, Victory advancing left, trophy on carrying trophy and dragging captive, cross in left field, AQ in exergue <b>(?)</b></p><p><b>Minted at Aquiliea, 388-393 AD, 11mm, 0.82g</b>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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