Caracalla caked up Reverse

[Tiberiusjulius]

Bought this beautiful coin (the obverse anyway  ) And I was wondering If anyone could advise me on how to clean it up or if it just doomed. I haven't received it yet.
All the best and thanks
Josh

[slokind]

I'd go through all the Caracalla obverse portraits in Thracian mints, as a short cut.  Look for the combination of that strong loop of drapery in front and scale armor.  Pat L.

[Danny S. Jones]

Josh - It looks like you're already down to the coin's metal surface, so I would be very careful with anything that might scratch the coin. The most I would do with a coin like this would be a dab of olive oil and a nylon brush, but it doesn't look as if you're going to improve this coin (at least from the photo).

Danny

[Steve Minnoch]

I'd go through all the Caracalla obverse portraits in Thracian mints, as a short cut.  Look for the combination of that strong loop of drapery in front and scale armor.  Pat L.

OVΛΠΙΑC is barely visible, so you can restrict your search accordingly.

Steve

[casata137ec]

Better pics of the rev will be needed once you get it; but there is not much, from these pics, that it looks like you can do other than be happy with a nice portrait of Caracalla  (not that it is a bad thing...especially if it was cheap).

Chris

[slokind]

I couldn't resist the temptation any longer.  In Portfolio, I just search Caracalla + (each of the six Oulpias), knowing that only four of them are likely.
So, here's your obverse die, and it's Serdica.  Of course, I can't see any figure on your reverse, and Hera is the one I happen to have.
• 12 07 01 AE29  Thrace, Serdica.  Caracalla, laureate, bust with scale armor and cloak, to r.  AVT K M?] AVR SEV   ‖   ANTONEINOS.  Hera frontal, head to l., leaning on scepter in her l. and with patera in her r.  OVLPIA{S}  ‖   SERDIKES.
HrJ 12.18.3.6 (both dies)
I'll look at HrJ and Varb.(E) to see how common this obverse is (how many reverses it was used with).  Pat L.
Hera has drapery too low at her ankles, but other goddesses and personifications, if they have their left arm raised to hold a staff of some kind, are possible, and so is Dionysos or Serapis.  It is hard to judge from Varbanov, since my copy is rather badly printed, but the obv. die is not uncommon.  Judging from the plates of comparative reverses in HrJ Serdika, pp. 156, ff., a nude Zeus is not unlikely, since the figure that V. illustrates as a Dionysos has no attributes of his.
The bust from behind showing the scale armor is less common than the one showing only the folds of his cloak.
If nude, and holding a patera and a staff (scepter), Zeus, even without an eagle at his feet, is least unlikely.

Replacing scan with digital photograph. CLICK for best resolution

[Tiberiusjulius]

Wasn't ignoring your posts, just waiting to receive it for a better picture. As far as the reverse goes, I do see a Figure left with a scepter, just like Pat's example. The coin has red encrustations that look like they can be pried off, but that could be pitting correct? Should I pry one up and see what is underneath?
All the best and thanks
Josh

[areich]

I see a figure standing if you rotate 45° clockwise.

Andreas

[Tiberiusjulius]

Bump

[Danny S. Jones]

From the looks of it, you have a nice portrait on the obverse, but very little else to gain by trying to clean this coin. Picking at the red encrustations may very well leave unsightly pitting in its place. It's a gamble that I wouldn't personally take with this coin.  The reverse is probably worn to the point that cleaning would remove the last traces of any image that may still be there. I would tag this one and file it as-is.

Regards,
Danny