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 Replies: 10 / Views: 1,868 |
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New Member
39 Posts |
Hi All I purchased this coin of great caliph Harun the great mint of Sijistan (Modern day Sistan province in Iran). What is really interesting about the coins is the toning and the fact that the name of governor as well as the Caliph name is cited on reverse. For those familiar with this period, you surely notice the eastern style of kufic script on this coin. What troubles me however, is that it has a number on the obverse written. Does it affect the value? How can I get rid of it?   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7066 Posts |
Acetone perhaps? I've read that acetone does not affect toning...
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
If it is counter stamped into the coin, then impossible to remove, however,
it appears to be written with a fine tipped fiber pen, therefore,
it would be an easy job to remove with an acetone bath, without disturbing the patina.
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New Member
 39 Posts |
Thanks guys. conserving patina is very important for me . Good to know that acetone does not affect patina.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1554 Posts |
It's most likely an excavation or museum number. I would leave it as is.
Edited by Kushanshah
12/08/2019 11:47 pm
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Moderator
 Australia
16837 Posts |
Looks like an "old collection" number. Back in the days before 2x2s were invented, and coin cabinet trays were the usual mode of storage, collectors needed some way of knowing where in the cabinet a coin belonged. Ink markings such as this were commonly done.
It's highly likely, if this is indeed an "old collection" coin, that the patina has come about from being stored in a coin cabinet for decades. And the toning will therefore not be present underneath the ink, since the coin did not have the toning when the ink was applied. So it seems entirely possible that removing the ink will leave a number-shaped hole in the patina - which might look better, or worse, depending on your point of view.
However, to answer the question: yes, acetone should remove ink, and not damage the coin in any way.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Moderator
United States
23731 Posts |
I agree acetone will do the job, but I would leave it there it gives it a bit of character with that old collection number.
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Pillar of the Community
 Spain
2752 Posts |
 ...Leave it alone.... Beautiful looking coin with wonderful toning..The little number doesn't effect the overall look and in my opinion gives it character and a bit more uumph! Nice coin congrats...Paul |
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Moderator
United States
34419 Posts |
I'm in the leave it alone camp too (which is exactly what I have done with a couple of my coins with similar ink collection numbers). Very nice coin.
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Pillar of the Community
United States
635 Posts |
Personally, as a chemist with some experience in metal cleaning, I agree with the acetone suggestion. I think I would try to remove the writing with a Q-tip dipped in either acetone or alcohol (a less aggressive solvent, good for removing inks, but either is fine). If the Q-tip doesn't work completely I would soak it for maybe an hour. This should remove the writing without damaging the coin. Since the patina was developed over hundreds of years before the number was applied it should be present and unharmed under the writing.
Edited by Seeker55
12/09/2019 09:09 am
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
946 Posts |
I owned this Umayyad AE Fals, it had collection numbers on one side. I left it as it was, seeing it as part of the coin's history, they did not obscure the details on that side.  |
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Replies: 10 / Views: 1,868 |
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Posted 12/08/2019 10:26 pm
