Head-on-a-platter and Dattari toning

A recent thread from @zumbly motivated me to capture a head-on-a-platter follis. Mission accomplished, and here it is:

Maximinus II Daia (308-313), Alexandria (312/13), RIC 160b. (Genius is holding the head of Serapis = head-on-a-platter.) ex. Dattari



I like that the head of Serapis is fully clear and crisp, and I'm very happy that I scored a head-on-a-platter so quickly after being tickled by the idea!

Now, if anything deserves to be called "toning" on a bronze coin (as opposed to patina), it's the iridescent coppery sheen on this coin. As it happens, I picked up a few other ex. Dattari coins in the same sale:

Carinus (283-285) antoninianus of Cyzicus, RIC 324:



Galeria Valeria, follis of Alexandria (308), RIC 81:



Licinius II as Caesar (317-324), follis of Cyzicus, RIC 18 (that's a wreath in the eagle's beak, it doesn't have an ankh for a head!):


And from an earlier sale, Maximianus (285-310), antoninianus of Ticinum (295-8), RIC 545 with the Farnese Hercules reverse (I have a fondness for this type):



Notice a pattern? They all have some iridescent copper, or a thin brown that's in the same ballpark. There's less on the Galeria Valeria and Maximianus, but that may be because they're partially silvered.

My thought is that Dattari cleaned these high grade coins down to bare metal, or almost bare metal, and this toning is what they have acquired during the last century. What do you think of this hypothesis? Unless there's a term already, maybe we can call it "Dattari toning"? Whatever it's called, I like it. (Partly due to @Julius Germanicus and his taste in bronze, I bet.)

Pile on with whatever you like, but I'd especially like to see some stuff with similar toning.

 

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Beautiful coins all.

 

Nice coins. They all have super detail front and back.

 

Excellent coins. I particularly like the Licinius II.

 

Thanks all! But what do you think about the "Dattari toning" and my proposed explanation? Or did you think that was just an excuse to post my nice new shiny coins?

Well, it sorta was, but still...

 

All very nice coins!! Fantastic detail! The Maximinus II Daia stands out to me.

 

Lovely coins. The Maximianus is my favourite. I have an Ex: Dattari coin with similar toning. Sorry, but I do not know the cause.

Constantine I

 

That's my thoughts. Really though, nice coins anyone would be proud to own. As for your theory, sounds good to me.

 

That reverse is superb, @Orfew!

The three people who picked favourites each named a different one! Maybe I should do a poll...

 

kool

 

Thanks @Severus Alexander

I love the reverse too. Next on my list is a Sarmatia Devicta reverse.

 

All are great coins. Some look as well struck as they come.

 

Excellent coins

 

Fantastic Maximinus II Daia, so sharp excellent buy Severus Alexander, even the head of Serapis has full detail.

 

They're all excellent, but that I really like that Max II. Great score!

 

Wow, those are all amazing specimens. I think when Dattari collected them he probably picked those out of hundreds available very cheaply at the time.

If you clean the patina off a bronze coin, especially a thick patina, then the surface underneath is usually corroded and has lots of pits. I would guess these mostly alexandria mint coins were buried or hidden in very dry conditions (maybe even air tight) and never developed much patina. It is possible Dattari cleaned a little very light toning off them, but I think the possibility that you have original 1800 year old toning is more interesting.

 

Lovely stuff.

I have a few M II D Serapis head coins and they range from well executed like yours through to cartoonish. There is a large range in quality so well done on finding one is good style.

I was inspired to go on a search a couple of years ago and came up with this one which is quite pleasing despite the flaw on MIIDs cheek.



I then went searching for a Sol head from Antioch.

 

This was pretty much my thought, maybe these coins were sealed in a jug or pot in a very dry stable location.

In any case they are beautiful!