There was quite a bit of dirt on this coin, and I almost made the mistake of mixing it up with a small bronze... But the weight of the coin in my hand told me to check it anyway, just in case.. And I didn't regret it... Aquilia Severa denar, 3 gr...
As always, @galba68 great find, and great before and after. HUH? Please understand, I'm nobody. Just a small time collector, not an expert on anything. So, my disagreeing with you doesn't mean anything. No insult to your intelligence or expertise. But, I don't get it? @galba68 has been doing this a long time. I read every post he does, and this is the first time that I've ever seen anyone complain about him being to aggressive in cleaning a coin. You may be correct, because I'm no authority. But, I stand by his work, and he can clean any of my coins, anytime. Please don't take this as an attack, it's not. It's just I disagree with you, completely. And as I've already stated, I'm no expert, just an old guy with an opinion.
Sorry if it sounded aggressive, I definitely don't try criticize @galba68 work as a whole. Just my completely subjective opinion that in this particular case cleaning revealed the porosity of the surface (totally normal for the type) and I personally would prefer a bit of dirt to be left on the coin to mask it. But my area is provincial coins in which some remaining patina is a norm, and I certainly understand most people want their denarii completely clean.
Obviously, I didn't mean to sound like I knew what I was talking about, or criticism directed toward you. I now understand your preference, and I'd be the first to defend your right to that. I'm one of those that knows just enough to get in trouble, and, I must confess, that I'm so in awe of the things that @galba68 finds, and amazed at how well they clean up, so that I get caught up in the overall process. I can't believe how many times he finds one that is caked with dirt, and he identifies the coin even before it's cleaned (not this one, I know, but so many he has). In my mind, I'm walking side by side with him as he digs and finds (because I'll never be physically there). Thanks for pointing out that "all" ancients don't need to be "cleaned" the same. Blessings, Kenneth
