Cleaning Crusted Roman Coins

Considering coins, information and prices, the only possible disappointment I can foresee is that both are quite small coins but that was properly described). I would suggest, as did echizento, not trying more cleaning since these are now attributable and have been cleaned to a point that might suggest the 'easy' dirt is gone and what remains would be a problem. You can always clean then in a few years when they are no longer you best coins if you still want too.

Many Roman Imperial coins are thin and weigh between 1 - 3 grammes each. Some of the older coins are thicker and weigh more. I have a Constans coin that is 17mm and only weighs 1.2g. It's almost thin enough to bend or break by hand.

One more thing. The size classification I just talked about is also used when the denomination is not known. Denominations in some cases are unknown to modern numismatists and historians.

It all depends on the denomination you are buying. A vast majority of the coins will be under 20mm (dime size), but if you are looking for an As, Dupondius, or Sestertius, many of them are larger and heavier then most any modern coins. I have one Sestertius that is 32mm and weighs more than 18g.

Many of the late Roman coins, 3rd and 4th Century coins will be smaller than the earlier coins and of course the metal will be more debased than their earlier counterparts.

If you are looking for larger coins that generally are affordable, look for the As. They are generally 24mm to 27mm, slightly larger than a US quarter.

To be honest, the coins you got seem in poor condition for the price you paid. The earlier images looked better then the ones you took. You can do better then these if you look and be picky. I am not bragging, but many of my nicer 4th century coins I have spent less then $10. Here is an example of a Constantine I that is in pretty good shape. It is 18mm and 2.4g. I spent only $6.50 including the shipping for this coin:



And here is a Crispus minted at London (highly desirable mint) I got for $7 including shipping:



So, if you will be patient and picky you can find better coins than these that you bought. One thing worth noting: I always pay attention to shipping costs. That adds to the overall cost of any coin. And some of the sellers on ebay charge outrageous fees. I stay away from these sellers unless its something I've absolutely must have.

The problem with the Sear attribution is that it doesn't distinguish where the coin was minted as does RIC. Looking at your two coins, it is very difficult to see the mintmark in exergue (the letters at the bottom of the reverse). Perhaps you can make them out in-hand. I went through my collection and found two coins with the same design as yours. Both were struck at Siscia. One coin I gave $11 and the other $13 including shipping. I just wanted you to see what your coins should look like and what you can get for the money:

Don't worry about it too much. The good thing is that the coins look authentic to me and that you're holding a piece of history. I thought it was awesome when I received my first ancient Roman Provincial coin.



This coin was given to me and it sparked my interest as it stands today. Not the highest grade, but I still like it and it has details.

JW opened my eyes to how cheaply I can get nice coins. The first coins I bought were a bit overpriced too--it's nothing to get discouraged over; it's a learning experience.

I have mentioned on other threads what my first ancient coin acquisition was.
For the record, it is a denarius of Antoninus Pius, in good VF condition.

I am somewhat of an obtuse collector, and go for the hardest coin right from the start.
It was the second acquisition that got me hooked onto ancient coins, and has also fuelled by interest ever since. That coin was a
gold aureus of Claudius, with the Praetorian Camp 'IMPER RECEPTT' reverse, in F - VF condition.
That was the 'Piece de Resistance' of my collection.

I decided to start at the top. I decided to obtain a gold Aureus.
I knew I had my limitations, and so to avoid buying a fake, I also decided to buy an Aureus from a dealer whom I considered had the best reputation in the World in ancient numismatics. No Brainer. That was Spink's in London.

I had made an acquaintance with the Australian business representative of Spinks, and on his advice, made inquiry as to what Aureii they have available. They sent me pictures of three Aureii for me to consider, and I chose the afore mentioned gold coin. I don't have that coin now; I sold it at a decent profit to another professional coin dealer. He still owns it 35 years later. The only reason (I was forced to) sell, was to help raise enough money for a 1/3 value deposit on our first home.

That coin was sold with about 30 other decent ancients that was part of a collection of about 200 coins.

I have since built another ancients collection with almost the same value as the first, which also has a few 'Piece de Resistance' coins in it, and with another gold piece, also obtained from Spink's in London.

Nevertheless, by far the most numerous of ancient coins in my collection are Late Roman Bronzes, where I have had the most fun collecting and attributing, all at reasonable cost.