hotwheelsearl Posted July 17, 2022 · Member Share Posted July 17, 2022 I've noticed that on Chinese cash coins you often get all sorts of rather beautiful blue and green encrustations, usually azurite and malachite, or some other copper-ish compounds. For some reason, this is much less common on Roman coins, and I almost never seen Romans with more than a few crystals. I came upon this little guy of Constantine II that has nearly full azuritic coverage, with a crescent of malachite on the reverse. Wow! For comparison, here are two cash coins that are just loaded with green and blue: Here's a few Alexandrian tets with green and blue, both with rather well-defined crystals of azurite. 16 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanxi Posted July 17, 2022 · Supporter Share Posted July 17, 2022 (edited) Nice colors 🙂 Azurite and Malachite are both hydroxycarbonates. Sometimes they are called sister minerals. For coins, azurite is often (but not only) seen when larger amounts of heavy metals other than copper are present. Malachite, Azurite and Cuprite Ant Nose Money Chu (440-220 v. Chr.) AE, 0.88g, 14.4x9.1mm Hartill 1.4var., FD4var. Edited July 17, 2022 by shanxi 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marsyas Mike Posted July 22, 2022 · Member Share Posted July 22, 2022 Just in from the bowels of eBay, a minuscule (1.67 grams), partially-blue Byzantine: Justin I Æ Pentanummium (518-527 A.D.) Antioch Mint [DN IVSTIN]VS [PP AVG], pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right / Retrograde Є left, Tyche of Antioch, turreted, seated left in distyle shrine, River-God swimming at her feet. SB 111; DOC 57. (1.67 grams / 11 mm) eBay June 2022 Lot @ $0.99 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor Steve Posted July 22, 2022 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted July 22, 2022 (edited) Sweet!! => hotwheelsearl => man, congrats on scoring that amazingly cool OP-Blue-Baby!! Ummm, I had one sort of blue example (wanna see it?) Gordian III, Cappadocia, Caesarea-Eusebia AE21 238-244 AD Dated RY 4 (AD 240/1) Diameter: AE21 Weight: 8.24 g Obverse: AV K M ANT ΓOPΔIANOC, laureate head right Reverse: MHT PO KAI B N, calathus containing five grain ears Reference: Sydenham, Caesarea; SNG Hunterian; SNG von Aulock; SNG Righetti; Lindgren & Kovacs; Lindgren III; MPR II Other: some cleaning marks … extremely rare … cool blue toning … apparently an unrecorded type for Gordian III Ex-stevex6 Edited July 22, 2022 by Steve 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtislclay Posted July 24, 2022 · Member Share Posted July 24, 2022 Another specimen, probably from the same dies: Ganshow, Kappadokien II, p. 360, cat. 892, illustrated specimen from Henseler coll. 1386. A well-preserved example! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.