Featured Moruzzi´s new detailled grading system

For bronze coins, perhaps one can take the average or median composition of such coins, create a sample of that alloy, measure the color, and use that as the basis for the color spectrum from which ancient bronze coins would deviate from. One tool that could be used for this is an XRF Analyzer in determining the coin's composition. Furthermore, perhaps the RGB values for many of the same alloys already exist in some database, which can be used as a reference when the coin's alloy matches what's in the database.

Heavy patina coins with gray tones would mostly be measured on the black-white scale. Any hints of other colors would appear on the color spectrum (however minute). All of this would be measured by computer - automatically and quickly.

But yeah, I could see how my grading criteria would mostly be for modern (specifically non-Ancient) coins due to the relative complexity of ancient coins to moderns.

 

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No ancient coins retain their original luster. They have all been cleaned and all come from the ground.

 

What about a "mint state" gold coin?

 

A cleaned coin can retain luster if cleaned correctly and if the ground conditions were right.

 

Gold maybe... I have very hard time imagining silver, bronze, or brass not forming an oxide patina of some sort. Excluding some very protected anaerobic environment, I dont know how this could happen. Can you show an example, preferably one with an endorsement from Barry Murphy or some other authority?

 

I am glad to be a collector of ancient coins where grade does not seem to matter as much as with modern coins. I confess myself confused that people would chase the "perfect" coin. Coins were struck to be used. I much prefer my coins to have noticeable wear. When I coin has some wear I get to imagine who used the coin and for what. I get to imagine how many hands it passed through and what the ancient Romans, for example, were thinking when they spent the coin. Coins are important because they were used by people and tell a story of a civilization. I cannot stand these near perfect hermetically sealed objects which are devoid of human contact. To me they are meaningless objects with no soul.