Roman Silver Wash

pendrak

Does anyone know how the Ancient Romans applied the Silver Wash to their coins? The silver wash that we see on late Roman bronzes is actually a very thin layer of real silver. How did they apply some type of “wash” to newly minted coins that produced a layer of real silver to their coins without knowledge of electrolysis, no batteries, and how were they able to do so to hundreds or even thousands of coins produced each day? I know exactly how they did it and have done so myself using low grade coins. I have actually used slug grade bronzes that I filled down- applied a wash- and got a beautifully silvered slug. Anyone interested? leaklater@yahoo.com

1jester

Welcome to the forum, Pendrak!

I know virtually nothing about the process they might have used, but I have read that the ancient Egyptians used some kind of electrolysis, gold-plating many objects that had previously been believed to be solid gold. So they probably did know about electricity in some form or other. In any case, I've read that plating a coin can also be done by using a several-step process using urine and some other elements.

pendrak

Here is my problem. I have just made a major discovery. How do I cash in on it? There is an ethics problem here. I could buy nice grade Romans on eBay, strip the patena, apply the wash, then resell them for a profit! Or? Or? I made my discovery in April of this year. Here are two coins that I applied the wash to today after I used a copper brush to remove the patena. Do realise that I could apply the wash and then tone down the areas that do not wash. I will not be able to check out replys for several days so contact me at leaklater@yahoo.com.

cacheman

"There is an ethics problem here."

no.....really?

Sapyx

<< <i>Does anyone know how the Ancient Romans applied the Silver Wash to their coins? >>


I understood that for coins like the third-century base-silver antoninianii, the ancients used to "pickle" the blanks in vinegar or some similar mild acid prior to striking. The acid attacked the copper in the alloy, but left the silver alone. Net result: a "sponge" of relatively pure silver around the unaffected mostly-copper core. When the treated blanks were then struck into coins, the "sponge" would be smashed down and compressed into a thin layer of silver on the surface.

Not sure how useful that technique would be for "re-silvering".

Aethelred

<< <i>I have just made a major discovery. How do I cash in on it?

There is an ethics problem here.

I could buy nice grade Romans on eBay, strip the patena, apply the wash, then resell them for a profit! >>




I can see that you will go far and last long on this forum!

Cladiator

<< <i>I have just made a major discovery. How do I cash in on it?

There is an ethics problem here.

I could buy nice grade Romans on eBay, strip the patena, apply the wash, then resell them for a profit! >>

Conder101

I can think of a couple different ways of applying a layer of siver to a copper blank before striking without using electrolysis.

johnsim03

Major discovery?

I think not. You can get all kinds of doctored ancients on eBay. Tooled and not mentioned. Cast fakes,
etc.

Are you joking with this posting? Why would you want to add to a big problem which exists already
in the marketplace? Would you be mentioning your enhancements when you sell them?

Experienced numismatists know which coins were silvered - do you? They also know what they
should look like...

John

pendrak

I am back in town and absolutely love the reaction that I have gotten from my post! Please note several things on my original post: 1) I stated I knew how it was done, 2) I stated it was easy to do, 3) I never said I would actually resilver and resell! I only said it could be done.

I am a very long time collector. I have hundreds of high quality late Roman bronzes and need no more. I raised the question of ethics simply because virtually ALL late Roman bronzes being sold have been jacked with! I have found, and also have seen bronze coins being found, and NONE of them look like something you would want to buy raw out of the ground. Collectors do not realize how rare true EF quality, unjacked with, silvered Romans actually are.

Also- I can resilver a coin, tone it down, and no expert can tell that I did it!

johnsim03

Okay, I see - you post outrageous "what ifs" to get reactions out of people.

Suggest you post the same, essentially, as that contained in your initial 2 postings
in this thread to the following forum:

FORVM Message Board

and see what kind of reaction you get from the serious ancient numismatic community there...

In fact, there are plenty of reputable dealers who do not sell doctored crapola on eBay,
or elsewhere. You just have to find them, and stay away from the bozos...

John

dougdann

I think you'll get some definite sour faces at the Forum.
At least I would think.

As a seller and collector, I would not want any coins that were tampered with.

There are enough of forgeries, tooled,etc. out there.
Don't get added to the list.

Although if you have figured out how to do it, great. Always interesting to learn. Knowledge is good.
BUT, keep it to yourself. We don't need the bad guys getting hold of more ways to decieve.

Not to say they aren't already doing this.
But don't add to this.

Doug