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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;JBK, post: 12348, member: 1101&quot;]I only own a couple ancients - a bronze and a silver coin - but someday I would like to learn more.</p><p><br /></p><p>Based on what little I know, this is my advice:</p><p><br /></p><p>If you have $10 or so to blow (don&#039;t forget the inflated shipping charge), then have fun.&nbsp; My understanding is that all (or as close to &quot;all&quot; as you can get) ancient coins have been cleaned.&nbsp; Becaue of the age and the circumstances (as in burial in the ground for 1000s of years), it is accepted that they are &quot;restored&quot; to a decent finish.</p><p><br /></p><p>What I have learned is that the choicest ancients are found in clay pots, and are relatively unscathed.&nbsp; The least desirable (and most common) are those simply buried in the ground.&nbsp; Not only are they the most corroded, but sometimes some sort of electrolytic process (or some other kind of scientific hocus-pocus) takes place and the bronze starts to crystalize or something due to contact with the earth and the minerals in it.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Finally, while Eastern Europe - where most of these coins are coming from right now - has been unpicked until communism fell, the fact that some good coins are coming from there also makes it prime for counterfeiters to slip their wares into the system.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>In short - these dirty coins - IF REAL - are low end, probably already picked through for obvious rarities, and are not particularly desirable, relatively speaking.&nbsp; BUT.....if spending 10 bucks keeps you out of the bar for one evening, then you will be ahead financially.&nbsp; Plus, you will have gotten a cheap lesson on ancients.&nbsp; Maybe it will open some doors for you.</p><p><br /></p><p>I can tell you that a decent ancient (and not expensive) is a beautiful sight to behold as you imagine the sheer age of it and where it might have travelled.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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