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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Marc Aceton, post: 2005177, member: 72101&quot;]Well, maybe, I am leaving a slightly wrong impression since I am always talking only about acetone. You have to put the bronzes into <u><b>both</b></u> <b>acetone</b> and <b>benzine</b>.</p><p><br /></p><p>I am not quite sure what was removed at the Vespasian. They are using all kinds of stuff when applying an artificial &quot;grease patina&quot; layer. Maybe, in case of the Vespasian, it was black shoe tube and this usually flakes off rather with benzine than with acetone. Shoe tube is containing wax pigments, which cannot be solved via acetone.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Yes, but there are exceptions - you cannot detect spots where oxides have been applied. No solvent will restore the original surface. Nevertheless, one should mention that the fraud that can be committed with oxides is not worth mentioning <u>if</u> it is used on genuine coins. Maybe, you can conceal the so called blinkers but you cannot fill unsightly corrosion pits since you can only apply oxides flimsy.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The Vespasian definitely became more shiny. Maybe, this becomes apparent rather in hand than on the photo.</p><p><br /></p><p>Usually, even the details become more crisp when removing the &quot;grease patina&quot;. The decisive reason herefore is that &quot;grease patina&quot; is applied in order to make the coins&#039; surfaces look more smooth in order to conceal surface roughness or serious patina problems. This means that that they have to apply something that is actually filling. Unfortunately, the &quot;grease&quot; is not only filling the pits and cracks but is also creeping for instance in the gaps of the figures or between the hair strands, which is making the details look dull.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>You are very right. Acetone only helps for lacquering, olive oil, or maybe earwax. In case of proper wax or shoe tube, you need to put the bronze in benzine since acetone is not solving wax.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>It depends on what they wanted to conceal with the wax. I had bronzes painted with shoe tube because they simply wanted to conceal dirt! That might sound a bit far-fetched but please consider that most bronzes in trade are cleaned by hobby archeologists who are lacking any knowledge how to expose the coin mechanically. And of course, before damaging a coin via improper, mechanical or even chemical cleaning you had better seal and conserve it with something you clearly know from your shoe tube set.</p><p><br /></p><p>Nevertheless, wax or other &quot;grease patina&quot; layers are verifiably also used for fraudulent reasons in order to conceal serious problems of a bronze. Ugly corrosion pits can seriously decrease the value of a coin. Filling these pits with pigmented wax and subsequently painting the whole surface will allow the bronze appear in a new light. A honest but unsightly 500 EUR sestertius will turn into a 5000 EUR gem being for some hours in the hand of a skillful restorer. Being duped with such a genuine coin, will let in you the wish arise to have purchased a fake, which you might be able to return.</p><p><br /></p><p>BTW, lots of the well-done counterfeits&#039; fake patinas are comprising wax in order to imitate a thick layer of metal salts depositions that has grown away from the metal. Oxids can only pretend very flimsy patinas.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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