This is an update for this Gallienus BI Antonianus that I've been cleaning. Also, it's part of the lot from Serbia that I purchased recently. I decided to make a new thread for this coin. The first photo is the after or current progress. The second photo is the before. Gallienus, AR Antoninianus, Rome, 261-262 AD, Sole Reign, 2.9g, 20mm OBV: GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate and cuirassed bust right. REV: AEQVITAS AVG, Aequitas standing left, holding scales and cornucopiae. Right field: VI. REF: RIC 159 var(bust type and field mark), Sear 10167, Göbl 0500q, Cunetio hoard 1082; Normanby hoard 141, Chalfont hoard 385 Sorry, I don't have a better before image, I simply was too lazy at the time. I cropped out the obverse and reverse from the lot photos. It hasn't been too difficult a coin to clean but regardless it has taken hours each day. I'm so very close to being done with this coin. The process was pretty simple and it's billon and has a silver wash which means that I have to be careful cleaning. I have only brushed this coin once. Brushing this coin too much is abrasive and could damage the silver wash and the surface of the coin. After brushing with running tap water and Dawn dish soap, I boiled the coin in distilled water for several hours and then pulled it out. I used a cotton swab several times during the boiling process. Then I soaked the coin in DW. Pulling out twice a day to use a cotton swab on it again. The last two days I've been using toothpicks and a safety pin to loosen up that hard clay and dirt. Again using a cotton swab to clean after each pin session, until the swab is not picking up anymore dirt. You also have to be slow and patient with the silvering on the surface. That's one reason why I'm not brushing it much.
