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 Replies: 9 / Views: 1,406 |
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
59 Posts |
Hi guys I just wanted to get opinions on this coin as to it been genuine or not. Also it looks partially clipped was there a reason that happened? Cheers Jay  
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7066 Posts |
Q. Minucius Thermus M.f. Based on the surface, I wonder if it may have been zapped (electrolysis). I would guess it's chipped rather than clipped. Maybe crystallization?
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Valued Member
 United Kingdom
59 Posts |
Quote:
Q. Minucius Thermus M.f. Based on the surface, I wonder if it may have been zapped (electrolysis). I would guess it's chipped rather than clipped. Maybe crystallization?
HI Bob Thanks for your reply! I've been reading your posts and your knowledge is truly incredible buddy. I don't know much about electrolysis techniques to be honest. I read somewhere that the silver content in the republic denarius was far higher than the days of the empire especially the 3rd and 4th century. Sometimes older Denarius like this example were clipped in a way that still left the coin and its lengends in tact usable. The clipped silver was then used to put into silver washing later antionious coins? Which in the later empire were marked XXI to mean 20 parts bronze, cooper etc to 1 part silver? Is any of the above facts or just one person's considered opinions or a load of rubbish. Im collecting / learning about Empire era coins I got this because I felt the price was resonsble and I liked the image which I'm guessing are gladiators in battle? If not its still a cool image. Thanks again for your input Bob. Cheers Jay |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7066 Posts |
Perhaps you are right and the coin is clipped. But I tend to associate clipping with cleaner cuts that seem intentional. Here, for example, is one (a Parthian drachm) I used to own, probably cut to verify it was not a plated counterfeit.  |
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
59 Posts |
Quote:
Perhaps you are right and the coin is clipped. But I tend to associate clipping with cleaner cuts that seem intentional. Here, for example, is one (a Parthian drachm) I used to own, probably cut to verify it was not a plated counterfeit.
Click to see a Larger Image! Thanks Bob I have a couple of coins with similar nicks which I assumed was someone in ancient times cutting a nick into the coin to ensure it was genuine all the way through. I guess the difference with this coin is the clip is big enough for a small bit of silver to be removed and potentially used elsewhere whilst only taking a small amount that allows the original coin to retain its function? Cheers Jay |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
725 Posts |
I would agree with Bob L. It looks to have broken (which often happens), with the crack continuing through the coin. Crystallisation would be a good reason for it to crack like that. And perhaps someone ran a plough over it 200 years ago. If so, it must be genuine as no-one would fake crystallisation.
People very often trimmed silver off coins to melt down, but I don't think they would've cut out big sections as they needed to pass the original coin off as unadulterated - otherwise what was the point of cutting it?
Coins were worth the value of the silver in them, so if you took a 1/3 of the coin away, the recipient would likely only accept it as 2/3, and you'd gain nothing from doing so.
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CCF Advertiser
 United States
1304 Posts |
Crystalization is easy to see if you look in the crack itself with a side view. Care to hold it to a bright light and take a photo inside the edge of the crack itself?
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
59 Posts |
Quote:
Crystalization is easy to see if you look in the crack itself with a side view. Care to hold it to a bright light and take a photo inside the edge of the crack itself?
Does this picture help Louis? Cheers Jay  |
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CCF Advertiser
United States
1304 Posts |
Yeah that was not clipped, it just broke out. You are close to some amazing photography if you had just pulled it back a bit as you notice the back of the coin is in perfect focus so just half a cm away more from the camera and you were there. It is best to get one camera you trust and set it for extremely close photography. Then never change it and use it for anything else but your coins. At least that is what I do, along with a rock I place the coin on and hold in the air with 5 incandescent lights of different wattages while I turn around in a circle holding the coin and camera in the air until I see the best photo. Then open in Photoshop, crop it, adjust the contrast and brightness then save below 300 kb for posting on the board.
Edited by louisvillekyshop
06/12/2021 7:28 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1554 Posts |
The rough surface texture may itself be the result of crystallization.
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Replies: 9 / Views: 1,406 |
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Posted 06/11/2021 12:32 pm
