I'm so clever, I'll talk to myself. First I will apologize for suggesting that you are not honest, but suggesting altering the appearance of a coin to hide flaws is not something I think is a good practice. I would like to take beautiful brown copper coins and transform them into beautiful red copper coins, on the other hand, I would not tone a coin with a scratch so as to hide the scratch. What you are suggesting seems to be hiding the scratch.
Our replies crossed. I better understand now that you are dealing with restoring a REAL patina rather than adding a FAKE patina.
However, as can be seen, Ancients are usually pulled from the ground in their discovery. These found coins can be totally encrusted with dirt, patina, corrosion, etc. etc. Many folks acquire the coins as-is, and enjoy restoring or cleaning them. In cleaning/restoration process, somewhat aggressive cleaning possibly happens, such as a person using harsh tools or chemicals, etc. , and some areas may need a little working. All of my coins have been cleaned. I know there are acceptible criteria as to what it takes to bring a coin to a reasonable restored state. There are some folks that take it beyond that line. For further info, search the Ancients threads for cleaning. I learned a LOT about what is right or wrong for Ancients. I am more comfortable with what to look for, what is acceptable, and what I avoid. Ancients are a whole different breed of cattle when comparing to moderns. It is like the difference between dairy cattle vs. beef cattle.
Yeah, agreed. I raised and judged Black Angus growing up, and move to WI for several years later in my career... All the Dairy cattle...
