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Post your favorite coin with a cool patina!


porphyrogenita

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This post is all about appreciating patinas, so feel free to reply with some of your favorite examples of patinated coins!

Screenshot_2024-08-15_at_8_26.37_PM-removebg-preview.png.9e28a0ddb829927ff2a27924e4b26e35.png

Roman Empire, Crispina (178-191)
AE sestertius (21.5 g)
obv: CRISPINA AVGVSTA, draped bust right
rev: CONCORDIA S-C, Concordia seated left with patera and cornucopiae

ref = Sear (Roman) 6004

 

The above has my favorite patina out of all of my coins because I think it looks like an oil painting. I haven't been able to capture the beauty of it with my camera yet, so I'm currently using the former listing's photo since it's incredible and showcases the colors very well :))

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That is pretty cool, yeah!

I'm one of those rare exceptions of ancient coin collectors who doesn't mind fake patinas. Or rather, I don't get all worked up about whether it is or isn't. Since there's no foolproof way to determine if that layer of corrosion was the result of centuries in the ground or a few hours in some Joe's home lab I just assume they're all to some extent fictional and get on with it. So might as well make it look good. Amateurs go for a quickie sulfur or copper acetate treatment. The pros all have their own secret sauce.

Rasiel

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3 hours ago, porphyrogenita said:

This post is all about appreciating patinas, so feel free to reply with some of your favorite examples of patinated coins!

Screenshot_2024-08-15_at_8_26.37_PM-removebg-preview.png.9e28a0ddb829927ff2a27924e4b26e35.png

Roman Empire, Crispina (178-191)
AE sestertius (21.5 g)
obv: CRISPINA AVGVSTA, draped bust right
rev: CONCORDIA S-C, Concordia seated left with patera and cornucopiae

ref = Sear (Roman) 6004

 

The above has my favorite patina out of all of my coins because I think it looks like an oil painting. I haven't been able to capture the beauty of it with my camera yet, so I'm currently using the former listing's photo since it's incredible and showcases the colors very well :))

WOW that is extra nice with a fantastic patina2015-01-0701_07.50-19.jpg.8356f11323d31db8392edad2114bc894.jpg, my favorite in my collection is this Nero. Nero As, Temple of Janus, Rome mint, 10.9gm, RIC 1 309.

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I’ve shared it before but this has to be my favorite patina in my collection. This was bought off eBay with a lot of little malachite growths. I worked them down and smoothed them while leaving the rest of the coin as it is. I kind of appreciate the expressionless face as well. It is by far the greenest green coin I have.

Time of Heraclius (Sassanian occupation of Egypt 618-628)

12 nummi

Alexandria Mint

SB 855

6.74g

IMG_2335.jpeg.eff97d32687b1cad3983ac0bacba108f.jpegIMG_2336.jpeg.9625b1ce5de5ce55111eb49925461cea.jpeg

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Roman Egypt, Alexandria. Vespasian, AD 69-79. Æ Diobol (25mm, 9.23g, 12h). Dated RY 6 (AD 73/74). Obv: ΑΥΤΟΚ ΚΑΙΣ ΣΕΒΑ ΟΥΕΣΠΑΣΙΑΝΟΥ; Laureate head right. Rev: Draped bust of Serapis right, wearing modius; L ς (date) before. Ref: Köln 300; Dattari (Savio) 401; K&G 20.45; RPC II 2441.11 (this coin illustrated); Emmett 218.6 (R1). Attractive light brown patina, two nice portraits and Good Very Fine/About Extremely Fine. Ex Naville Auction 83 (July 31, 2023), Lot 256. image.jpeg.32f016c276f1a3f7668d79b3a1c54088.jpeg

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I just got this Demeter from Lucania...

Herakleia, Lucania

281-272 BC
AE17 (17.5mm, 5.08g)
O: Head of Demeter left, wreathed in grain.
R: Ear of grain; ΗΡΑΚΛΕΙΩΝ downward to right.
Van Keuren 153; SNG ANS 99; HGC 1, 1010; HN Italy 1442
Scarce
ex Aphrodite Coins

5808605_1720614996_l7.jpg.30ca839a9f68d6edeaa458725b5826ef.jpg

Here's some more...

Lysimacheia, Thrace

309-220 BC
AE 21 (21mm, 8.14g)
O: Wreathed and veiled head of Demeter right.
R: Nike standing left, holding wreath; ΛYΣIMA[XEΩN] around to left.
SNG Cop 905; Sear 1621; BMC 3, 6
ex Romae Aeternae Numismatics

Lysimacheia_AE.jpg.e19d995a7c7d3703533659b593fad8a7.jpg

Athens, Attica

Eleusinian Festival Coinage
340-335 BC
AE 16 (16mm, 3.65g)
O: Triptolemos seated left in winged chariot drawn by two serpents, holding grain ear in right hand.
R: Pig standing right on mystic staff; EΛEYΣI above, bucranium in ex.
SNG Cop 415; Agora 38h; Sear 2586v

Eleusis_AE.jpeg.jpg.7e21d12bf46f0dfaf7908594543443e1.jpg

Ephesos, Ionia

350-288 BC
AE12 (2.09g)
O: Bee with straight wings, seen from above; E - Φ on either side.
R: Stag kneeling left, looking back; astragalos above.
SNG Cop 245v; Sear 4402v; BMC 14,55
ex Jack H. Beymer

1Ephesos.jpeg2.jpg.55d2bb612b23e502059e7acbaf891ab6.jpg

Edited by Phil Anthos
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Posted · Supporter
41 minutes ago, Limes said:

These two denarii have developed lovely rainbow / golden toning. 

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Its difficult picking a bronze. I decided to show this one. Lovely green emerald-like patina.

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That Vitellius is a beauty!

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I suppose that this coin could possibly be labeled as 'Aggressively Cleaned', if not outright 'Tooled' -- As a coin's patina(as naturally found) may be considered by some as part of the found coin's original structure.  For all I know, this may also be an 'applied fake patina' that's been painted on, and perhaps selectively removed to highlight details.

Yet, for some reason, and despite the purist in me, I find that it still has eye appeal due to the contrast of the green patina on the (raised)devices, and the darkness of the exposed fields.

I also have soft spot for Sicilian coins, and would be fine to presume that it is indeed 'as found', perhaps with some light curating.😊

image.png.da76be5400d54ccfb948507134c336a3.pngimage.png.333f1d64de79cad631a7884db02b0ab5.png

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Posted · Supporter

I like the slightly mottled green patina on this coin.

CommodusAsVOTSVSC.jpg.b8e511e87cd3f3de7b318d90a6b1d463.jpg

COMMODUS, AD 180-192
AE As (24.84mm, 7.59g, 11h)
Struck AD 185. Rome mint
Obverse: M COMM ANTON AVG PIVS BRIT, laureate head of Commodus right
Reverse: VOT SVSC DEC P M TR P X IMP VII, Commodus, togate, standing left, sacrificing over tripod-altar; COS IIII P P in exergue, S C across fields
References: RIC - , BMC 566, RCV 5897 (this coin illustrated)
This coin illustrated on wildwinds.com
An extremely rare type, with a fine portrait and rich emerald patina. This coin is the illustrated plate coin in David R. Sear's popular reference series Roman Coins and Their Values (Vol. II, p. 411)
From the Jeff Clark VOTA Collection.

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