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Message:: [QUOTE="philologus_1, post: 3120793, member: 92212"]In keeping with the opening thread and also along the lines of what TIF questioned above re: undisturbed -vs- disturbed, I thought of this Byzzie I bought 7 years ago. (It's a Justin II & Sophia, large follis, SB_360, 566/7AD.) [ATTACH=full]794026[/ATTACH]In communicating with the highly reputable dealer who listed it, he wrote the below paragraph regarding the coin's "patina" or lack thereof. Note especially the portion which I made bold and underlined, as I very much share the same sentiments. "There is no patina on this coin other than a very thin red toning in the recessed areas of the obverse and reverse, and some rather thick patina in the edge cracks.  I don’t know of a natural process that would result in no patina on the surfaces and thick patina in the cracks (although that’s not saying that I know that there AREN’T any such processes).  My best guess is that this coin was stripped of its patina, and the red toning is artificial (though quite pretty).  I just think the coin is interesting because there is almost no corrosion damage, it is well and evenly struck, and it has less wear than is usually found, so it looks a lot like such a coin must have looked while actually in circulation in ancient times. Something like the thin red toning in the recesses on the obverse and reverse also probably would have been present on a coin in active circulation."[/QUOTE]