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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;robinjojo, post: 7835819, member: 110226&quot;]Good points, Doug.&nbsp; Sometimes coins, especially high value coins, are given to restoration experts to &quot;improve&quot; what would otherwise be a less comely coin due to the flaws apparent in the first photograph of the Claudius sestertius.&nbsp; Depending on the degrees of these flaws, the work can range from fairly minimal (think light smoothing and cleaning) to extensive (filling in pits, extensively tooling element detail and letters and removing all deposits, re-patinating and removing blemishes). </p><p><br /></p><p>I think the coin&#039;s owner is willing to accept the results and costs, which can be quite high, but relative to the value of the &quot;improved&quot; coin, versus its original condition, a certain calculation must have been made by the owner of the Claudius sestertius, as it was subsequently put up for auction.&nbsp; As for the new owner, maybe he or she is totally cognizant of the amount of work done to the coin, and accepts it as such.&nbsp; Or, the new owner doesn&#039;t really know, or even if informed, really does not care, since the coin does have appeal to those who are not ancient coin collectors, lacking the knowledge that comes with years, even decades of experience with ancients.</p><p><br /></p><p>As with art, ancient coins are often treated, often with a light cleaning, but sometimes with far more work.&nbsp; Some interventions are necessary, such as with bronze disease.&nbsp; But there is a line between what needs to be done and what is physical alternation of a coin, making it fundamentally deceptive.&nbsp; The OP coin clearly crossed that line. </p><p><br /></p><p>As for the level of knowledge, or lack thereof, we can only rely on experience or even our &quot;sixth&quot; sense when something appears amiss with a coin, and, with the aid of fellow collectors and dealers, try to set things right.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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