Rhodes Diobol.... SNG Keckman 511 - 529

[Lee S]

Hi Guys,

  I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of this dirty little thing, and I cant wait to get my hands on it... It is the first uncleaned silver coin I have bought with the intent to restore it to some of its former glory... ( with a steady hand and some luck!! )

  I will post updates with my method of choosing when the coin arrives!!

  Lee.

[SC]

Interesting to see how that cleans up.  How small is that?  Under 10 mm??

Shawn

[Lee S]

Well, the coin arrived, unfortunately with a little chip,  , but the price was right and I am pleased with the results of my clean so no real grumbles!

  All I used for this clean was lemon juice on a q tip using VERY gentle circular motions.. Then when I was happy with the result I brushed it for 5 min under the tap with a soft toothbrush..

  I am happy to have removed the worst of the grime and left most of the toning intact..

I will measure the diameter when I give it a more accurate attribution later this week but no lager than 10mm I'm sure.

 ( that is 2 out of my last 2 Rhodian silver coins that has arrived chipped... Am I just unlucky or is there something about Rhodian silver that makes it more fragile I wonder?? )

  Best wishes,

Lee.

[daverino]

The coin is very clearly crystallized so handle with care. The darkish exterior layer and the silvery-white core are pretty diagnostic of the crystallized state. Nobody is quite sure why some ancient silver coins become brittle and others of the same type are sound as a bell.  Possibilities include the presence of impurities or differences in the heat treatment of the coins during manufacture. Nice little coin anyhow

Dave