baffled by this roman

[Chef Geoff]

I only really learned this year that the colours can vary so much (which is worrying as to what I put down as a grot in the past ) and it seems that unless your lucky enough to find a Denarius from either the republic or up to Claudius, from then on they get progressively debased, until during the reign of Septimius Severus the silver is just there as a colouring. So the discolouration is not so much the silver but all the other metals that have been alloyed with it.

[heather]

thanks to everyone for the advice, but to clean or not to clean !  LOL

I dont know, its got to go to the museum first to be recorded, so I wont do anything to it until it comes back, but ummmmm. 

take care

H

[Meatslicer]

The shape of the area around the head looks like a moulding ridge. Could mean its a copy, but that means its probably more valuable than the original.

Silver of hadrians reign was pretty naff in some cases. I have a silver washed Hadrian denaruis forgery that has a copper core.

Silver can react to animal excrement and turn black on the surface (silver nitrate)if its pretty pure, or form a chemical compound with the copper from bronze coinage to form copper nitrate which is a green powdery stuff. If the silver has been debased a lot (Mixed with copper or lead) it can look like old lead or pewter. I have a denarius of maximius that looks exactly like a pewter coin and never looks shiney no matter how much you clean it. Pure silver will clean up well with warm water and borax, but debased silver can be damaged by too rigorous cleaning.

I would leave it till the flo sees it and ask him what to do with it.

Eric

[Chef Geoff]

I think you'll find it should read "silver sulfide" not Nitrate.
Also, who's Maximius?

[Meatslicer]

Maximinus Thrax (Latin: Gaius Julius Verus Maximinus Augustus;[2] c. 173 – 238), also known as Maximinus I, was Roman Emperor from 235 to 238.

Maximinus is described by several ancient sources, though none are contemporary except Herodian's Roman History. Maximinus was the first emperor never to set foot in Rome.[3] He was the first of the so-called barracks emperors of the 3rd century; his rule is often considered to mark the beginning of the Crisis of the Third Century. He died at Aquileia whilst attempting to put down a Senatorial revolt.

I missed the "n" on the keyboard.

Eric

[heather]

thanks so much Eric and everyone else, hope you all enjoyed christmas.

Took it to Mark at the Museum to be cataloged and identified and he said "ummm interesting !!" but edward was not there so hopefully will get it back at the cardiff jan scan club meeting and will know once and for all.

Really weird though thinking about it being a forgery !   lol 

Take care

H