Uncleaned Provincial Lot

Im guessing the first one is an altertype reverse.

It looks like an old style camping coffee pot to me.

Coin #1 rev. I think is 'serpent rising from altar or coiled above altar'. Haven't figured out the legend yet, definitely Greek.

#2 rev is 'bunch of grapes'. Legend is pretty much all there.

#3 not sure, but I know I've seen that rev. before Perhaps an apple. If I run across it again I'll let you know.

Regards

jwharper: I was thinking about the exposure time to olive oil.

As you perhaps may already know, the reason why olive oil works at all, is due to it's mild acidity. Poorer quality olive oils have a higher proportion of free fatty acids.

I notice that you have quite a few bronzes that have so far turned out to be worthless. It may be worth experimenting on these with vinegar, which logically, would have a faster reaction rate. To develop the experimnetation further, I was considering that perhaps you could separate out four of the 'worthless' coins, and put one each in a small vial, each vial containing
1.2/3 olive oil, one third vinegar,
2.1/2 olive oil 1/2 vinegar,
3. 1/3 oilve oil 2/3 vinegar
4. pure vinegar.

Examine the results of the exposure to these mixtures to the coins at regular intervals.
I am not sure that oilve oil and vinegar will mix, perhaps some detergent added to the mix will be required.

My guess is that with gross over exposure, especially to the pure vinegar, should result in coins that have a fresh salmon color, that is characteristic of pure copper that has been exposed to aggressive acid conditions. Obviously the experiment would be terminated way before the coins get to this state.

Its like gambling to some people they cant quit. Every couple of months I always end up buying a few just to see if I can get something good. Its fun even though I end up mostly disappointed but still even from my experience with uncleaned coins I still buy them. the best luck I've had is from metal detectors from the UK that put the coins on ebay in lots usually mixed with other metal stuff they find.

I've just had a quick look at these.

No.1 Legend says ...OPOLIT?RO. The emperor's image is Macrinus

No. 2 I see ...OPOLIT... again - but can't make out any more. I'm not really sure of the Emperor - Caracalla would be my first guess - even though the outline looks more like Trebonius Gallus - the style is far too early for him.

No. 3. The obverse is tricky. Nothing immediatly springs to mind. The reverse is something known as a "prize urn". It really was a prize awarded to winners of local events - usually sporting in nature.

I "think" the one with the bunch of grapes "is" Caracalla - from Hadrianopolis. The reverse legend should read ADRIANOPOLEITWN - though of course with provincials that's not guarenteed - it may be some other form of the city name (also knows as the "ethnic") either by design or by error.

The one with the cista mystica (that's snake and basket) might just be Gordian III - they both had biggish noses. But it still might be Macrinus - it's really hard to tell. I think you'd need to find a die match with the reverse to be sure. Have a search for examples from Nicopolis ad Istrum - a lot of this type of reverse came fromm there.

Best of luck with narrowing it down.

I believe the reverse of #3 is a basket of the type used as a prize in athletic contests. The portrait could be female (Julia Domna). All are the style used in Moesia and Thrace and I believe the Hadrianopolis ID is probably correct but the same types can be found from more than one city and more than one ruler. All are common coins so I'd suggest buying slightly nicer specimens if your goal is the coins rather than the thrill of the ID.