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Ancient Indian(???) coins? Hopefully someone can help…

YQQYQQ Posts: 3,264 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited June 26, 2017 12:33PM in World & Ancient Coins Forum

A few days ago I was approached and asked if I possible could help with some old and ancient coins.
‘Sure lets see what you have”….. well, surprise surprise. They were oldies, real oldies. So the fellow proceeded to tell me the story and showed my a letter from his grandfather who was a ranking member of the British Colonial Forces way back in India.
Here is some of the text his GF wrote to his father ( he has the original letter):

Transcribed from original letter:

“Coins bought by me in 1910 at the Shajiki Dheri mound near Peshawar.
Here in 1906 was found a casket containing relics of the Buddha buried
by King Kanishka (cerca 100 ad
). The casket was officially presented
to Burma some years ago. History of the times with many references to
similar coinage are in the Cambridge History of India pp 72-79.
These coins were bought from a local vendor-excavation was still open.
This book is in the Victoria library and I am requesting it and will
let you know when its here--Maybe there are photos or drawings of
similar coins”

Grandfather and Father have had these coins and now the Grandson, Ian, has them.
There are 21 of them, all in a fine linen bag. The bag has the writing (see image)
Cox & C0., Srinagar Kashmir on it.

I have posted the least damaged coins and the worst coin (21). The rest have all more or less ![](https://us.v-
****green and other colors crusts. The green stuff is hard and brittle. What would kill or dissolve it? What would dissolve the crust?

Questions I have are these:

1 can anyone of you identify any of the coins?
2 How would you go about cleaning these coins as many of them have a yucky and hard crust
3 How would you go about the very powerful Verdigris. I think that's what it is?
IMO, “verdi-care” would probably not help for this?
4 Would anyone venture as to a possible Value of the coins? ( I guess that is not such a fair question :o )

I have numbered the coins for easier identification and references.

Any help is much appreciated.
or perhaps somebody knows somebody who might know somebody who knows? :)

Thank you all for your help and input.










Today is the first day of the rest of my life

Comments

  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,194 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 26, 2017 1:13PM
    1. Not me, not specifically - I do not specialize in these - but yes, they look right for ancient India to me. I've sold similar looking coins.
    2. DO NOT CLEAN THEM!!! Some of those have nice patina that is actually preferred by collectors. Stripping the ancient patina from these would be a huge mistake and would greatly decrease their potential value. What you think is "yucky" is actually preferred by a great many people.
    3. See my answer to # 2, above.
    4. Sorry, I don't have any specifics for you on value. They may not have a very high monetary value.

    I love the old drawstring bag. That's neat.


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  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,194 ✭✭✭✭✭

    PS - with that original letter, they're certainly going to be worth more.

    I say again - LEAVE EVERYTHING IN ITS ORIGINAL STATE, especially since you're dealing with a hoard that has specific historical provenance, here. I realize some of the coins may look nasty to you - some may indeed BE nasty - but original is far preferable to cleaned.

    From what I see here, the patinas are either nice or at worst only mildly objectionable. I do not see this # 21 you spoke of.

    They look like ancient hoard coins should. Leave them that way!


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  • WillieBoyd2WillieBoyd2 Posts: 5,034 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 26, 2017 4:32PM

    I sent YQQ a PM (private message).

    :)

    https://www.brianrxm.com
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  • YQQYQQ Posts: 3,264 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thank you MyLord, great advise and needs to be heeded.
    there is however one big "but": the green stuff. I believe it is poison and harmful and continues to grow, eventually "eating away" the whole coin. I might be wrong???
    My reference to coin 21 was meant to be coin 18. Sorry about that. (there are 21 coins all together)

    Thank you WillieBoyd, received your PM and will see where it leads.

    Today is the first day of the rest of my life
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,194 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 27, 2017 7:57AM

    Yes, bronze disease (active corrosion) is a different story, and you'll probably want to treat the coins with crumbly green corrosion on them, for sure. The affected coins may or may not be beyond help.


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  • MrBreezeMrBreeze Posts: 1,035 ✭✭✭

    5 looks like It is from the Kushan empire.

    7 looks like it is from the Sikh empire/state.

  • YQQYQQ Posts: 3,264 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Seem to be running into "nowhere" but have not given up yet.
    thanks so far for your help. it is certainly appreciated..
    somebody will eventually pop up saying: oh, I now all about these items.

    Today is the first day of the rest of my life
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