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Roman - Egyptian Tetradracm of Salonina

By the middle of the Third Century when this coin was struck, the Tetradracms of Roman Egypt were for all intents and purposes a copper coin with a small silver content, perhaps 5 per cent or less. Though quite worn by technical grading standards, the beautiful aqua and turquoise colored patina nicely highlights Salonina's features on this coin. The bold, high relief strike characteristic of this series combines with the patination ahd highlighting to render an absolutely beautiful coin that grades no higher than Fine

The author has several coins in his collection that grade low by the book but are really little gems of art. He has heard dealers exclaim on many occasions, "How can I sell that coin for so low a price!" The thoughtful and experienced collector who really understands numismatics must often make a choice between technical state of preservation and overall quality of surface, art, strike, and patina. In the field of modern coin collecting, many ex collectors of MS 60 and 61 Morgan silver Dollars who were formerly unhappy with their UNCs are now the pleased owners of many beautiful AU 58s that are often half the price of a banged up, baggy MS 60.

The image at left depicts the actual sixe of this little Tetradracm if the monitor on which it is being viewed is a 14" screen set to 640 x 480 pixel resolution.


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