Does this need cleaning? I can't tell :/ I'm new!

Hi all,

The first photo is what I purchased. The second photo is what arrived. I posted both for context. Should I clean it? Or, is this as clean as it gets?

I was thinking about a soak in Distilled water. I'm open to other ideas!

Thanks

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

No, it's preferable that you leave it as is. It's called a "Sandy Patina" and usually it's well liked, among ancient collectors.

 

What is it about "Sandy Patina" that people tend to like? I'm VERY very new to collecting ancients. I just started and have little to no knowledge. I appreciate the help and explanations Thank you!

If I DID want to clean it (just curious so I understand) is distilled water the right product?

 

That coin will most likely not clean up nicely.

 

Agreed with Victor (a very well known and reputable seller)

If you were to clean it up, it would likely be very porous, and rather ugly. Please leave it as is!

 

Because it can highlight certain traits of the coin itself also known as "devices", which is the portrait or figures on the reverse, lettering. And everything else can be the tone of the sand, those empty areas are called "fields", on a coin.

If you insist on destroying a perfectly fine coin, than distilled water is one way. But, I've never cleaned a sandy patina coin.

 

That coin definitely isn't a coin that you would find in an uncleaned lot. This is why cleaning and teaching cleaning doesn't happen on CT.
If you buy it leave it alone.

 

I'll echo what everyone else is saying. Don't clean it, the patina is quite attractive. That, and something I've found while cleaning ancients, is that they're much harder to read if you try to reach a uniform color.

 

Leave it as it is.

 

Decision made: I won't be cleaning it

Appreciate the kind thoughts!

That all makes a lot of sense. I do have a batch of "uncleaned" coins that should arrive tomorrow. I've never cleaned any before so it will be my first time trying to figure out what to do with those.

I think for any that I buy that have "already been cleaned", I won't touch them

Thanks!

 

If you clean it the value and beauty will be lost forever. Please leave it as is.

 

At the moment the coin is stable. If you clean it you will most likely have it bleeding imbedded contaminants and will have to clean and seal it frequently. JMO

 

As a general rule, you NEVER clean a numismatic coin. Sometimes if a coin has reacted to a plastic case it has been in, soaking in acetone briefly may help. You also don't want to scrub or buff a coin.

Now that being said, if you are keeping bullion or especially constitutional (junk) silver, you can clean them as needed. I don't touch my bullion accept with gloves and keep it tubed so it doesn't need help.

My constitutional (junk) silver is kept for possible barter purposes, so I do clean it up.

 

Good advice for modern coins; but this is the ancient coin board and many, if not most, ancient coins are cleaned to some extent.

 

I certainly regretted cleaning some Allen Berman junkbox coins, back in the1990's. I don't think I used anything except a very soft brush, but the earthen-highlight before looked a lot better.

 

For starters its appearance will simply not be improved through cleaning.

As for the appeal, I personally like the way it highlights the legend and portrait on these coins. I also don't find coins of the later Empire as artistically appealing as those from earlier periods. The interesting patinas seen on these late 3rd century-4th century coins can make them more interesting to me. Mostly, it is just the "look" I associate with coins from that period.

 

Thanks, all!

 

Never clean any coin it’s never a good idea

 

Did you notice what kind of coin this is? It definitely ain't either bullion or constitutional silver.

 

This doesn't apply to ancient coins, nearly all of which must be cleaned to even recognize them.

But even for moderns - why is there such a taboo on cleaning? Honest question.