I used to buy uncleaned Roman coins in bulk. I'd clean them, classify them and then resell them. It was always quite a thrill removing layers of crusted on dirt until you start to recognize what you have. I didn't make much money doing it, but it was interesting and a good way to occupy my free time after retirement. I learned a lot about Roman history that otherwise I would've never known.
My most used tool was bamboo skewers, like you find in the grocery store. They're stiff enough to remove dirt and soft enough that it won't scratch the coin. Sometimes I'd use a sewing needle for pin point cleaning. I secured the coins in a padded clamp like they use for soldering small wire connections. Mine was clamped to my desk, but most are weighted. I'd always soak my coins in regular olive oil for a few days to loosen the dirt. Then after cleaning I'd lightly coat each coin with Renaissance Wax, which is a micro-crystalline preservation wax used by museums. I researched my coins at various sites online. I don't have their names handy, but they're fairly easy to find. So, have fun and I hope you find some good ones!@@Awsometurtle20
That’s one of the most remote places in the empire, lucky find. the only thing i remember that happened there during the empire’s history is justinian ii’s exile.
I'm sure they only do the "painstaking" thing for the camera. My cousin has a friend who's an archaeologist and has a 14th century medieval shoe as a decoration on his mantelshelf, which I asked about and how it was preserved. On camera they tell you these things have to be very very carefully dried out in strict humidity controlled conditions, but in fact they just take them home and dry them near the fire. If they can do that with a waterlogged piece of ancient leather, I'm sure they can treat metal such as coins with a lot less care.
@@egoinjury Indeed. I noticed they were cleaning the coins with acetone on a cotton bud, which certainly wouldn't harm them, but as they've survived almost two thousand years in the ground I reckon neither would warm soapy water and a scrubbing brush, and they could have cleaned all of them in half an hour.
Pull tabs were only made for a short while, but they're the bane of every detectorist! You might be hunting an area that you think no one has been to in hundreds of years, but I guarantee you that you'll find a pull tab!
And WE didn't even purchase it. Individuals who run the museum made the decision. Taxpayers could not be said to have purchased it since they are forced to pay taxes and could not practically influence the decision to buy. There is a lot of collectivist thinking these days. Only individuals can make decisions and take actions. The idea of a corporation or government or group of any kind making a decision or taking action is just a legal fiction.
Hello, please see this page on the Portable Antiquities Scheme website, 'What happens to your finds when they are declared Treasure?' finds.org.uk/treasure/advice/finders
The hoard is declared as treasure by the coroner, then it is valued by the British Museum who get first refusal on buying it. If they don't want it, the hoard gets offered to other museums. If none of them want to buy it, the hoard gets returned to the landowner and the detectorist who have to then decide what to do with it. Basically when a hoard is declared as 'treasure' the landowner and the detectorist get 50% each of the proceeds of sale. In this case, the museum in Exeter purchased the hoard.
Sharp scalpel on bronze coins ! Amatuer cleaning method, might as well get the brasso and vinegar out. Who the hell teaches these people conservation. Better to use a cut down paint brush or fibre pen. The former is better. It does the same job quicker and with less damage. Been detecting since 1985 so I've got some experience in the matter.
Yeah I noticed that, his coil isn't anywhere low enough and he's got it set at an angle so the front side is way too high. You need that coil brushing the ground.
6:01. I could understand if she handled a proof or a clean Ms coin... But why using gloves for cleaning an ancient coin !? If the coin never developped a strong patina to resist to his hostile environement it wouldn't be there today... The only way i see glove could be used is because she use a solvant like acetone and she don't want to have her skin dried by it...
They are probably not gold. I would guess either silver or bronze. Silver bullion is about $23 US per troy ounce, and these coins appeared to be about 1/8 ounce. So we are talking about $3 each as silver bullion. But that just sets a floor on the value. Their collector value (numismatic) will be much higher, and will totally depend on the market. What people are willing to pay. How rare each coin is will be the biggest factor. Same with the copper/bronze ones.
Individually? Maybe $5-10 to a collector. Not knowing what part of the 4th century this hoard belongs to, it's hard to say just how much silver is in each one. Roman coins in the 4th century were heavily debased; they could have 10-20% silver, or these coins could be considered "silver-washed". Now to an archeologist, like the people in the lab, the horde is invaluable because it provides direct evidence of coin collecting/hoarding patterns. And based on this, they can made educated guesses about life in the 4th century Roman Empire.
I'll have a little bet with you RAMMuseumExeter if you care to take the challenge ? I could clean/conserve one of those GLORIA EXERCITUS coins to a far better and less destructive standard than any of your conservators could.
They should really hire a troupe of numismatists to handle it properly. The only thing is us collectors may ask for payment in a few of those old coins or may ask to buy a few. :) There's a good variety in there, it looks like, along with Gloria Exercitus types. All of them definitely look fourth century though. I'd like to see the mint marks and a better look at the emperor's names. It would tell volumes if they were still being minted locally in any scale at the time of burial or if they were being shipped in from the mainland, perhaps as far as the eastern half.
as a detector myself that guy at the beginning is either not very experienced, or just acting for the camera, based on the speed, angle, and area covered by his swings. most experienced, detectors go much slower and in much tighter grids. and it is the most important thing to have the coil parallel to the ground. Its also very wrong to rub coins with your finger like that, especially if they are old.
Jude Xavier ancient coins can be handled with out gloves. Even some of the most expensive ancient coins can be handled with out gloves the reason why is because they have been underground for 1500+ years touching them won’t hurt them
I hope to one day find something worthy of being documented by a professional archaeologist. As a metal detectorist, I really do not appreciate it when people say I'm destroying history. Even worse is when they say I'm "looting." If I was to find something this big, I would leave it in the position I found it in and immediately call in the archaeologists. Just about everything I've ever found is not considered archaeologically important to the experts, but it is to me. The one thing I really wanted to share with them was when I found a Guillford projectile point at a construction site. They thought it was cool, but it wasn't anything groundbreaking to them. Still, I like to know I've rescued something from being lost to time when it can otherwise be enjoyed.
Hi Ray, just to clear up any misunderstanding - the Seaton Down Hoard was discovered by a metal-detectorist as clearly stated in the video description, and the first section of the film features the finder talking about his experiences of detecting in general and finding the hoard in particular.
@@pwnyou2295 why they are saing they destroy history is mostly because us, as numismatist and detectorist, love the coins for what they are. The archeologist seems to "just" like coins for what it can tell about the site ( the origin of the coin, the age of the coins, ect ) coins seem to have very few interest for them sadly. Better having a damaged corroded copper coin whit data than a perfect aureus whitout any data. As a science, i can understand, but still...
@@RAMMuseumExeter Hi RAM in 1985 ish i recieved a finders fee for a saxon gold bracetae which was partially broken , Derick Chick ĺiased on behalf of both parties ,i have lost all documentation . I am pretty sure it was exeter museum but maybe it was Norwich any info would be gratefully appreciated. Ps sorry for the trite comment true detectorists have had a lot of flack over the years , and can get a bit over defensive .
In the absence of current institutional morals, expect that valuable museum inventories are more often diminished via internal theft....look around...dismal..
I used to buy uncleaned Roman coins in bulk. I'd clean them, classify them and then resell them. It was always quite a thrill removing layers of crusted on dirt until you start to recognize what you have. I didn't make much money doing it, but it was interesting and a good way to occupy my free time after retirement. I learned a lot about Roman history that otherwise I would've never known.
hi what tools did you use? i want to do the same i want to clean and identify. also what resources or books did you use to id coins?
My most used tool was bamboo skewers, like you find in the grocery store. They're stiff enough to remove dirt and soft enough that it won't scratch the coin. Sometimes I'd use a sewing needle for pin point cleaning. I secured the coins in a padded clamp like they use for soldering small wire connections. Mine was clamped to my desk, but most are weighted. I'd always soak my coins in regular olive oil for a few days to loosen the dirt. Then after cleaning I'd lightly coat each coin with Renaissance Wax, which is a micro-crystalline preservation wax used by museums. I researched my coins at various sites online. I don't have their names handy, but they're fairly easy to find. So, have fun and I hope you find some good ones!@@Awsometurtle20
@@justdoingitjim7095 thank you very much this was was very helpful
I still have 2 Roman coins that I found as a kid in Crimea
That's pretty cool. In America we don't have that.
That’s one of the most remote places in the empire, lucky find. the only thing i remember that happened there during the empire’s history is justinian ii’s exile.
@@lemonfresh1135 The romans often used the area as exile for political enemies they could not just kill.
@@bart_ender6116 the pontic region was ideal for that, real nasty conditions. Ovid describes it beautifully in his poetry from exile.
@@lemonfresh1135 I'll have to check that out
Whenever I see a hoard like this the same questions come to mind. Who buried it and why?
A Roman. To hide it.
Drop the hoarde on the hard ground a few times and use flat screw driver...;)
If every coin takes that long to clean you will need an army of volunteers and a lot of time!
Or a jet washer 😉
I'm sure they only do the "painstaking" thing for the camera.
My cousin has a friend who's an archaeologist and has a 14th century medieval shoe as a decoration on his mantelshelf, which I asked about and how it was preserved. On camera they tell you these things have to be very very carefully dried out in strict humidity controlled conditions, but in fact they just take them home and dry them near the fire. If they can do that with a waterlogged piece of ancient leather, I'm sure they can treat metal such as coins with a lot less care.
Like the scene at around 5:20 with the cotton swab, haha as if!
@@egoinjury Indeed. I noticed they were cleaning the coins with acetone on a cotton bud, which certainly wouldn't harm them, but as they've survived almost two thousand years in the ground I reckon neither would warm soapy water and a scrubbing brush, and they could have cleaned all of them in half an hour.
Yo he limpiado monedas viejas pero no de esa manera tan lenta. Me costaba muchísimo menos y quedaban como nuevas.👍🇪🇦
대단하네요. 잘 봤습니다. 행복하고 기쁜 오늘되세요. 🙏🙏🤞🤞🍀🍀
Everybody who metal detects has found at least one old beer can or bottle top
1???? More like hundreds lol
@@jacksonstory4773
DEFINITELY.
Pull tabs were only made for a short while, but they're the bane of every detectorist! You might be hunting an area that you think no one has been to in hundreds of years, but I guarantee you that you'll find a pull tab!
Make that "at least a thousand" 😅
she says "WE" found when its actually WE purchased
And WE didn't even purchase it. Individuals who run the museum made the decision. Taxpayers could not be said to have purchased it since they are forced to pay taxes and could not practically influence the decision to buy. There is a lot of collectivist thinking these days. Only individuals can make decisions and take actions. The idea of a corporation or government or group of any kind making a decision or taking action is just a legal fiction.
Just fling them in a vat of olive oil for 12 months. They'll come out like new.
Why are you mechanically removing the dirt....? A low psi air jet would work much better
These academic types love wasting as much time as possible, all that matters is getting the next grant.
look up dunning kruger mate
Xp it’s the best Metal Detectors company in the world
Makes me want to buy a bag of these type of coins online now, cool way to kill time!
Do museums pay the detectorists? They should, they make money on displaying them, selling them to other museums etc.
Hello, please see this page on the Portable Antiquities Scheme website, 'What happens to your finds when they are declared Treasure?' finds.org.uk/treasure/advice/finders
The hoard is declared as treasure by the coroner, then it is valued by the British Museum who get first refusal on buying it. If they don't want it, the hoard gets offered to other museums. If none of them want to buy it, the hoard gets returned to the landowner and the detectorist who have to then decide what to do with it. Basically when a hoard is declared as 'treasure' the landowner and the detectorist get 50% each of the proceeds of sale. In this case, the museum in Exeter purchased the hoard.
Sharp scalpel on bronze coins !
Amatuer cleaning method, might as well get the brasso and vinegar out.
Who the hell teaches these people conservation. Better to use a cut down paint brush or fibre pen. The former is better. It does the same job quicker and with less damage. Been detecting since 1985 so I've got some experience in the matter.
3 years... wow
I carry the same gear as u but I also take a kneeling mat
im 70 ye carnt b bending over all the time lol
Is that so you can pray for a good find when you get a signal?
WHAT WAS SHE USING TO CLEAN THEM?
Acetone
Your losing 15 cm put the head of the détector 2cm from ground for a better search
Yeah I noticed that, his coil isn't anywhere low enough and he's got it set at an angle so the front side is way too high. You need that coil brushing the ground.
just shove the big clump in a bucket of distilled water, that'll get up apart
ALL I CAN SAY IS THE WORD JEALOUS. If you need help identifying some of those I'm your guy. LOL.
6:01. I could understand if she handled a proof or a clean Ms coin... But why using gloves for cleaning an ancient coin !? If the coin never developped a strong patina to resist to his hostile environement it wouldn't be there today...
The only way i see glove could be used is because she use a solvant like acetone and she don't want to have her skin dried by it...
It looks professional for the audience, like they're getting their tax payer's worth.
@@Littlegoatpaws exactly, the so called "scientific gloves"
Exactly ! Thats rediculous...
What solution did she use on 5:10 ?
Alcohol maybe ? She got acetone too, so this is probably a solvant to gently clean the dirt whitout harming the surface of the coin beneath.
Roman or Byzantine?
How much is each one of these coins worth?
4th century? I didn't see any gold ones, probably only a few hundred thousand dollars.
They are probably not gold. I would guess either silver or bronze. Silver bullion is about $23 US per troy ounce, and these coins appeared to be about 1/8 ounce. So we are talking about $3 each as silver bullion. But that just sets a floor on the value. Their collector value (numismatic) will be much higher, and will totally depend on the market. What people are willing to pay. How rare each coin is will be the biggest factor. Same with the copper/bronze ones.
Individually? Maybe $5-10 to a collector. Not knowing what part of the 4th century this hoard belongs to, it's hard to say just how much silver is in each one. Roman coins in the 4th century were heavily debased; they could have 10-20% silver, or these coins could be considered "silver-washed".
Now to an archeologist, like the people in the lab, the horde is invaluable because it provides direct evidence of coin collecting/hoarding patterns. And based on this, they can made educated guesses about life in the 4th century Roman Empire.
How many times does she say 'kind of''?
That hoard looked terribly small to me.
i would boil that clump in water or bang it on the table to break them up.
That would ruin the coins
Um... No. Bad
Thank God you didn't find it then.
@@Wally-H Thank God you didn’t find your sense of humor
I'll have a little bet with you RAMMuseumExeter if you care to take the challenge ?
I could clean/conserve one of those GLORIA EXERCITUS coins to a far better and less destructive standard than any of your conservators could.
They should really hire a troupe of numismatists to handle it properly. The only thing is us collectors may ask for payment in a few of those old coins or may ask to buy a few. :) There's a good variety in there, it looks like, along with Gloria Exercitus types. All of them definitely look fourth century though. I'd like to see the mint marks and a better look at the emperor's names. It would tell volumes if they were still being minted locally in any scale at the time of burial or if they were being shipped in from the mainland, perhaps as far as the eastern half.
Or use a equinox...
No, he has an XP Deus and that will do the job nicely, as long as you get your coil down on the soil properly (unlike in this video).
Whats the value?
👍
ASMR at 3:17
👍🤗🤗🤗
Why not just get a scrubbing brush to them? 🧐😂
stop causing inflation
oh for gods sake!!! soft toothbrush and some olive oil!!!! why ever turn these in?? because detectorists risk prison in Britain!
No
I have old coin 1793. sales for
Really wow. No one can buy them here.. Lol go to coin store. R they real
as a detector myself that guy at the beginning is either not very experienced, or just acting for the camera, based on the speed, angle, and area covered by his swings. most experienced, detectors go much slower and in much tighter grids. and it is the most important thing to have the coil parallel to the ground. Its also very wrong to rub coins with your finger like that, especially if they are old.
Jude Xavier ancient coins can be handled with out gloves. Even some of the most expensive ancient coins can be handled with out gloves the reason why is because they have been underground for 1500+ years touching them won’t hurt them
Indeed.
we found? no....found by a detectorists....typical archaeologists claiming the prestige of detecting finds.
...
.
I hope to one day find something worthy of being documented by a professional archaeologist. As a metal detectorist, I really do not appreciate it when people say I'm destroying history. Even worse is when they say I'm "looting." If I was to find something this big, I would leave it in the position I found it in and immediately call in the archaeologists. Just about everything I've ever found is not considered archaeologically important to the experts, but it is to me. The one thing I really wanted to share with them was when I found a Guillford projectile point at a construction site. They thought it was cool, but it wasn't anything groundbreaking to them. Still, I like to know I've rescued something from being lost to time when it can otherwise be enjoyed.
Hi Ray, just to clear up any misunderstanding - the Seaton Down Hoard was discovered by a metal-detectorist as clearly stated in the video description, and the first section of the film features the finder talking about his experiences of detecting in general and finding the hoard in particular.
@@RAMMuseumExeter should not clean coins with scalpel u nuts
@@pwnyou2295 why they are saing they destroy history is mostly because us, as numismatist and detectorist, love the coins for what they are. The archeologist seems to "just" like coins for what it can tell about the site ( the origin of the coin, the age of the coins, ect ) coins seem to have very few interest for them sadly. Better having a damaged corroded copper coin whit data than a perfect aureus whitout any data. As a science, i can understand, but still...
@@RAMMuseumExeter Hi RAM in 1985 ish i recieved a finders fee for a saxon gold bracetae which was partially broken , Derick Chick ĺiased on behalf of both parties ,i have lost all documentation . I am pretty sure it was exeter museum but maybe it was Norwich any info would be gratefully appreciated.
Ps sorry for the trite comment true detectorists have had a lot of flack over the years , and can get a bit over defensive .
In the absence of current institutional morals, expect that valuable museum inventories are more often diminished via internal theft....look around...dismal..
very boring video
Alas you are right.