Smoothed Coins : General Inquiry

Anything other than a general cleaning is not acceptable IMO. A coin that has been tooled or smooth has been altered.

This is one of those topics that can prompt some intense debate. Some collectors distinguish between tooling and smoothing. Others consider smoothing to be just a subset or type of tooling. I have one tet that I knew, going in (to the transaction) has a smoothed obverse field. But it's a rarity, a type I had wanted for a long time. And, while the obverse field is smoothed, the devices - the portrait and legends - seem untouched as far as I can tell. I do wish the coin was free of smoothing, but I'm still happy to have it in my collection.

Very interesting question for the collectors of ancient coins.
Makes you think a bit.

I agree with echizento 100%. A tooled coin always sustains a loss in value.
A tooled coin when up for sale, should be honestly described as such.

Any experienced collector of ancient coins should easily see that if an ancient coin has been tooled or not.
It is usually done to sharpen up the design detail, or to make lettering more identifiable.

However such coins may be easier to sell, if it brings out the detail and facilitates easier identification and thus makes the coin more easily sold at a lower price.
A professional may well consider the drop in value justified.
I would never tool and ancient coin because I don't have the necessary skill.


Interestingly, with modern coins,
often master dies are tooled by the designer to sharpen them up, before working dies are hubbed off them. I have sat on the opposite side of a work bench of a coin die cutter** employed by the Royal Australian Mint, and discussed his work as he proceeds with it.
I was lucky enough to get a lot of insight into modern die cutting,
and perhaps better understand why an ancient coin may be tooled.


**Horst Hahne: He designed and prepared the master die for the Australian large scale circulation definitive Two dollar coin, featuring an Aborigine on the reverse.

I have no doubt that coins are being sold some for a great deal of money that have been tooled and smooth. In the case of the coin your refer to the work appears to have been done well. So some could argue was the coin restored or altered? My feeling is that the coin has been changed in modern times and differs even in the slightest way to the original coin struck 2000 years ago.

Most of the coins I see that have been tooled and smooth were not done as well as that coin and show all the signs of a poor attempt to enhance the coin to add a few extra bucks to a sale.

Of the example that @travelcoin posted, I would much prefer the top, unaltered coin.

In my (humble) opinion the line is drawn between the alloy the coin is made of and the oxidation or "patina"
that may be found laying on the surfaces of an ancient coin
In my searches I have found atrocious examples of bronze coins tooled by persons who obviously view themselves as great "artistes" !
Portraits of Trajan with hairdos that looks like his 'mater' did it with a cereal bowl and a pair of kiddy scissors !
And this is from reputable European auctions !

Until a few years ago I never rubbed or scrapped a bronze with anything more severe than a bamboo skewer
But I will give credit to Ben for giving me the courage to try using a steel pin in some circumstances
(veeeery carefully)
On occasion a bronze ancient coin can have some extraordinarily hard "concretions" that can obscure important details (eyes ears nose etc)
In these circumstances I have on rare occasions either broken the deposit or worn it down by rubbing it
Likewise I have found bronze coins with surface 'pimples' especially in the fields
I have carefully used the edge of an exacto knife to excise the "zits" while always taking care to restrict any amputations to the oxides
Of course no one is perfect and I have on rare occasion left a very tiny nick or scratch in the bronze
A month long bath in olive oil usually darkens the wound enough to make it all but invisible

But I would NEVER intentionally cut into the metal
That is a no no

OK last night I was listing 50 coins for sale, fine about a few vf, and I noticed I had just photographed a Caligula AS. It got me thinking: This might be the only coin I can see tooling was probably a good thing to do as it was never noticed in so many lots before, coming to me in a bulk lot that had been looked at. I imagine, remove the green corrosion, smooth over the rough spots without the letters and bust, tool the bust, VESTA seated etc letters, then repatina treatment as it was once over cleaned apparently. Because otherwise the coin was never anything to anyone and now at least you would have an actual talking point coin of Caligula, a sought after emperor.

Exactly. Tooling and smoothing are negatives to me, no matter the subject coin. The more originality, the better.

Edit: I realize @Kushanshah's point as it applies to this discussion, but those original hobo nickels are very pricey and I would love to have one.