Best Way To Get Rid Of The Green?

Anastasius Follis AD 512-17
SB 19

One thing you will eventually learn is that certain types of coins were only produced during specific periods.
Whether we are talking about the S C reverses from Antioch or the 'good' silver antoniniani of the early 3rd century, monogram reverses of the late 4th early 5th century or in this case the larger bronzes of the early Byzantine period.
There are only so many emperors it could be based on the reverse M and the portrait with a profile.
Most Byzantine you might notice are facing portraits.
I saw the letters ST and not being particularly big on Byzantine the first thought was Justinian.
The lack of the ANNO on the left reverse and the gamma officina mark were two more clues.
Realizing that ANASTASIVS satisfied the ST clue I turned to Wildwinds and searched for a large M with gamma below and stars on either side.
It really isn't rocket science.
Just follow the clues and by process of elimination reduce the search list to a manageable size

Thanks for the lesson. I use Wildwinds a lot, but wasn't able to narrow this one down first. Learning curve will be long — but enjoyable.

What do you think about a bit of REN Wax?

It is Justinian SB-160

This is what can happen when people think they are improving a coins appearance - not done by me.





I would much rather own a coin in a crusty condition than one that has been ruined.

Truly awful

I had my own "disaster" a few years back
I picked up a small lot of Postumus bronzes from a seller in France
Based on the evidence I presume he had dug them up as a detectorist out in the field. I really only wanted the largest that had a trireme reverse and the rest I sold off to recoup most of the expense.
The second largest Sestertius had a lovely glossy green patina but a few edge chips exposing BD beneath. The more I tried to rid the cancer the more the edges chipped until the entire rim was exposed.
And still the BD persisted !
Well stage 4 cancer calls for extreme measures if anything was to be saved at all. Using a 'secret' recipe I proceeded to bathe the coin for an extended period of time with slow but certain results. After about one week my bottle of 'secret' sauce was finished and I fetched another from the kitchen closet.
Unwittingly I opened a bottle that was double the strength of the one previously used !
I changed the bath water and set the coin back on the shelf.
Around two days later I went to check on it.



The glossy green patina had ALL been stripped away

A hard lesson learned
Fortunately for me the patient had already been diagnosed as probably terminal

Thanks, Seeker! I'll mix up some of that. One more arrow in the quiver.

Renaissance Wax is a protective wax put on when all cleaning is complete, like waxing your car. Used by the British Museum on coins and other antiques. Looks good! Available at ebay.

I considered that also, but I believe the part of the legend is off flan and the bust looks now like Justinian than Justin.