Here is a "before and after" pic of my
Zeus Ammon from Thymbra. I really hated to touch it as it was from "an old
collection", but I didn't like the looks of that spot before the ear. As I probed it under the scope I found that is wasn't as "active" as I feared (hard, not soft and powdery), but then I found a few other spots that did concerned me (like that ridge before Zeus's nose and a spot right behind it). Both left pits, but fortunately, very shallow and not that noticeable once the coin was brushed. There appeared to be pools of wax under that dirt, so a working theory is that some collector freaked at the BD, coated the coin in wax and then covered it with dirt for the "sandy
patina" or maybe the wax just soaked through the dirt. I started with those troubled spots by the nose and was totally surprised to see that beautiful surface come through, so I continued brushing and probing. Turned out surprisingly nice.