FIFTY SHADES OF BLUE

[robinjojo]

Nice shades of blue toning and patinas posted in this thread!  I figure that an ancient bronze, to "earn its salt", should have patina/deposits and not cleaned down to bare metal, although I suspect that many in this state have had their patinas restored in some way.  

My bluest ancient varies depending on the light source.

 

Diocletian, Abdication follis, post reform,,Officina Z, 308 AD, Antioch.

10.5 grams

Natural overhead light, from skylight.

 

Same coin, photo taken with a flash.

 

I also have a Faustina II, posthumous, with some blue patina.

Faustina II, Diva Faustina, throne, peacock.

RIC 1704.  Rare.  

33mm; 22.20 grams

This coin, unfortunately has been "worked" on the reverse.  Perhaps there was some BD, but I suspect this is a case simply of someone not knowing what they were doing, or didn't really care.

[DonnaML]

I completely forgot about this one, which definitely has bluish-purple toning:

GERMAN STATES, Prussia, "Moses Mendelssohn" AR medal by Jacob Abraham & Son [Abraham Abramson], undated [1774]. Obv. Bust left, MOSES MENDELSSOHN above, I. ABRAHAM & F. [= and son] beneath truncation / Rev. Butterfly perched on skull right (with coronal suture visible on skull, curving from top of skull where butterfly sits, down to right eye socket), PHAEDON above; in exergue in two lines, NATUS MDCCXXIX [Born 1729].  43 mm., 27.75 g.  See Friedenberg, Daniel M., Jewish Medals From the Renaissance to the Fall of Napoleon (1503-1815) (Jewish Museum, New York, 1970) at pp. 54-55, 131 (ill. p. 54). Purchased from Educational Coin Company, Highland NY, 20 Jan. 2011.*

*See Friedenberg p. 131: "Medal was issued to honor Mendelssohn, the great German Jewish leader of the Haskalah, for writing Phaedon, modeled on the Platonic dialogue. This well-known work was published in 1767." See also id. pp. 54-55, in the book's discussion of the medallists Jacob Abraham and his son Abraham Abramson [N.B., the references to Mendelssohn's physical handicaps are not phrased as sensitively as they might be today]: "We are fortunate that both father and son engraved some of their most prominent co-religionists. The most important of these medals, struck about 1774, is an homage to Moses Mendelssohn, the very great leader of the Haskalah movement. Both father and son collaborated on this work, which without question is among the dozen most important Jewish medals ever issued. On the obverse we see facing left the bust of Mendelssohn, with the overly massive shoulders butting the head, as is typical of hunchbacks. The long, searching nose, the high forehead, the deepset eyes, and thin, fixed mouth all reveal the restless mind of a scholar. The reverse shows a skull with a delicate butterfly perched on top, indicative of the immortality of the spirit. The symbolism refers to the well-known philosophic work by Mendelssohn entitled Phaedon, modeled on the dialogue of the same name by Plato. Happily for collectors, the medal was immediately recognized as an extraordinary piece, and many were struck. From certain imperfections seen on some copies, the writer is of the opinion that later dies were made or the dies were reused after corrosion."

[DonnaML]

1 hour ago, robinjojo said:

Nice shades of blue toning and patinas posted in this thread!  I figure that an ancient bronze, to "earn its salt", should have patina/deposits and not cleaned down to bare metal, although I suspect that many in this state have had their patinas restored in some way.  

My bluest ancient varies depending on the light source.

 

Diocletian, Abdication follis, post reform,,Officina Z, 308 AD, Antioch.

10.5 grams

Natural overhead light, from skylight.

 

Same coin, photo taken with a flash.

 

I also have a Faustina II, posthumous, with some blue patina.

Faustina II, Diva Faustina, throne, peacock.

RIC 1704.  Rare.  

33mm; 22.20 grams

This coin, unfortunately has been "worked" on the reverse.  Perhaps there was some BD, but I suspect this is a case simply of someone not knowing what they were doing, or didn't really care.

Your first one looks more green than blue to me, especially in the sunlight photo! But it's sometimes difficult to draw the line between those two colors.

[robinjojo]

4 hours ago, DonnaML said:

Your first one looks more green than blue to me, especially in the sunlight photo! But it's sometimes difficult to draw the line between those two colors.

Yes, there's green, but also some blue, perhaps greensih-blue or bluesih-green?

[Salomons Cat]

7 hours ago, robinjojo said:

Yes, there's green, but also some blue, perhaps greensih-blue or bluesih-green?

May I suggest turquoise? 😊

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

Yeah, the true-blue patinas are pretty rare.

[robinjojo]

2 hours ago, Salomons Cat said:

May I suggest turquoise? 😊

Yes, that's a good description.  The gemstone turquoise can range from from sky blue to bright green, with blue green hues in between.

Edited November 2, 2023 by robinjojo

[robinjojo]

Here's one more coin, not totally blue, but with patches against mostly green, brown and silver.

Cornelia Salonina, antoninianus, 260-268 AD, Rome.

RIC 5 (Gallienus); MIR 36, 581aa; RSC 39a.

2.43 grams

Edited November 2, 2023 by robinjojo