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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;IdesOfMarch01, post: 1493965, member: 39084&quot;]I only started adding AE coins to my collection around 18 months ago.&nbsp; While I feel very comfortable evaluating AV and AR Roman coins, my understanding and ability to evaluate AE coins is pretty much nonexistent.&nbsp; For AE coins, the patina is essentially part of the surface (due to the corrosion of almost all brass coins) and removal of the patina is considered alteration of the coin.&nbsp; Although some smoothing is typical and usually acceptable, too much smoothing, and especially any alteration of the &quot;devices&quot; are considered tooling and greatly decrease the value of the coin.&nbsp; In fact, I&#039;ve seen a number of coins go unsold at international auctions due to the fact that they have been tooled even when such tooling is minor.</p><p><br /></p><p>So I have relied 100% on my dealer to evaluate my AE coin acquisitions.&nbsp; One of my first AE coins was the following Nero sestertius:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH]190711.vB[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>NERO</p><p>AE Sestertius (26.56 g.)&nbsp; Lugdunum circa 65 A.D.</p><p>NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GER P M TR P IMP P P Laureate head of Nero left. Rev. PORT AVG Port of Ostia, river Tiber reclining below</p><p>RIC 441</p><p><br /></p><p>I find that I&#039;m attracted to distinctive reverse types, in addition to high-quality obverse portraits, and this coin filled both criteria.&nbsp; Plus, the patina is attractive, and I like the size and weight of AES coins as compared to AR and AV coins.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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