New Uncleaned Lot - New Interesting Finds

Looks like they will clean up well. Be careful with the silvered coin. The silver wash can be "washed" right off the coin. For a silver coin, not silvered, the lemon juice is a good cleaner. I'm not sure I would use it on this coin. I have no suggestions other than water and/or olive oil soaking.

The first coin is a Valentinian. I have not checked to see if it is a I or II so I'll let you attribute it as it is midnight here and I'm ready to call it a day.

Congrats and keep us posted.

Falling Horseman coins were originally issued as the largest of three denominations in a currency reform under Constantius II c.346 AD. Brother Constans had the same reform but his larger coins were his choice of other types so Falling Horseman coins of Constans are rare. About that time inflation hit the economy and the newly issued coins started getting smaller. The other denominations were discontinued. Constans died so the only type that really suffered from the shrinking process was the horseman. You have one of the early ones before they got smaller.

I suppose it is heresy to some but a silvered coin in poor condition with patches missing can be treated like regular bronzes and might look better with no silver than with 25% patchy silver. On the other hand, freshly cleaned patchy silver coins tend to improve as they retone so ugly may get more acceptable in ten years or so.

I know no one wants to hear it but, I've seen more coins ruined in olive oil than helped. At least try distilled water first.

You guys have been a bad influence on me. I ordered a small lot of uncleaned coins to try some cleaning experiments. I regret that most coins I see offered are either partially cleaned (probably removed from the batch when it was obvious they were culls) of chipped on the edge (cleaning does not repair broken coins). I was hoping for round lumps of dirt but failed to find exactly what I was seeking. I feel a bit bad spending over $100 on something that my intent is to destroy but perhaps there will be a few $5 coins to offset the certain trash? I promise you there will be no oil baths or Ren-Wax. In a few weeks/months I'll report on how this goes.

Be careful with the silvered coin, distilled water only to start with, even then I have had silvering peel off so keep an eye on it, no lemon juice.

I see a palm leaf to the left of the figure on it.

Nice lot that should clean up nicely. I believe the first coin is Valentinian II based on the Chi-Rho in the left field which was used on many of his small bronze issues.

I just scanned another from this lot. I suspect that this coin may have already been cleaned and just tossed in the lot due to the fairly poor legend. Is this a Claudius II?

Claudius II, Memorial issue, Consecratio.

The coin was probably struck under Quintillus in AD 270. If this is true, then the only mints open to him were Rome, Milan, Siscia, and Cyzicus. I go by the mantra that when in doubt go with Rome mint. The likelihood is that most coins would have been struck in Rome even if they were also struck in other mints.

Value is so hard to pin down. According to Sear, in VF condition the coin would be worth about $25. Take a look on acsearch.info to see if you can get a value.

Really great patina on that Claudius II too!