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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;TypeCoin971793, post: 3139648, member: 78244&quot;]This excellent question was posed in another thread of mine. I will try my best to answer it, though [USER=87271]@AnYangMan[/USER] is certainly invited to add on. Here is the coin that sparked the question:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]802383[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>First, let’s talk about wear. On Chinese coins, wear from circulation will spread out any rims and character strokes, and they will be flat on the surface. As the strokes spread out, gaps will fill within the characters and they will start merging with the rim. Here is an example:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]802385[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Here is a large lot of Wu Zhus from F to EF/UNC condition. You can see how some of the coins have flatness on the tops of the characters and some spreading while others are fully sharp:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]802389[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>This can be distinguished from a soft casting because the rims would be sharp, or the surfaces of the characters would have a somewhat rounded appearance rather than a flat one. This knife has weakly-cast characters which have rounded surfaces, but the rim is sharp, meaning this coin hardly circulated.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]802384[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Here is a group of Huo Quans. The third row has several example of weak casting.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]802388[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>On the spade that sparked the question, there were no flat spots whatsoever on the devices, meaning it had seen no circulation wear. It would be described as EF in any auction catalogue, but in reality it is “practically uncirculated”.</p><p><br /></p><p>Now let’s talk about patina. It is true that was is considered acceptable/desirable in ancient Chinese coinage would possibly cause a Greek/Roman coin to become worthless. My theory about this is that Greek/Roman coins have far more intricate detail that is easily hidden by a layer of patina. Here is an example from [USER=56859]@TIF[/USER] ‘s collection. I personally prefer the “before” coin because of the patina, but I’d be willing to bet that almost all of you would prefer the “after” coin because you can see more detail:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]802390[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]802391[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Chinese coins have large, simple inscriptions that would take a very thick layer of patina to obscure. That is why it is acceptable. Here is an example of a spade with no inscription, so what would be the point of cleaning it? While not the most even and attractive patina, it is still decent.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]802393[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>As you touched on, the patina is a very good indication of authenticity. Usually this means the patina has to have a randomness and a crusty nature, both are aspects which could be seen as unattractive. I have come to be attracted to that kind of patina for authenticity reasons, but also because it is the “natural” way that the coins <i>should</i> look. Revoming this natural appearance will reduce the ease of authentication, which will reduce the market (I won’t buy them), and thus lower the value. (Sometimes, encrustation needs to be removed in order to see the characters. This is acceptable in my opinion, if it is done with care.) In addition, you can have some beautiful and vibrant colors fom the minerals in China’s soil that are rarely seen on Greek/Roman coins. The striking appearance of these coins is relatable to rainbow toning on modern coins, and they will trade for a premium.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here are examples of a couple Qi knives. The first one (mine) has been cleaned to reveal the characters. It made this coin slightly harder to authenticate given the unnatural appearance. It is hard to explain, but it feels like something is missing from the coin because the patina has been mostly removed. I bought it at a discount.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]802394[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Here is another one with completely-intact patina (not mine). Notice how it does not obscure the characters. I love the colors as this particular combination almost guarantees aurhenticity, plus it is easy on the eyes. The randomness and slight crustiness also allude to its authenticity, which attracts me. If the two knives were the same type, I would pay a significant premium for this one.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]802397[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>As for what I meant about “great character”, I was referring to the clarity of the one-character inscription and how it was unusually complex for the type.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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