Any ideal what may had caused this Cypraea Tigris

[richard]

<a href="http://www.badongo.com/pic/5226648" target="_blank"><!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.badongo.com/pic/5226648">http://www.badongo.com/pic/5226648</a><!-- m --></a>
<a href="http://www.badongo.com/pic/5226650" target="_blank"><!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.badongo.com/pic/5226650">http://www.badongo.com/pic/5226650</a><!-- m --></a>
Has anyone ever come across some thing like this in a Cypraea Tigris? Any ideal what may had caused it?
100mm long

[dave r]

Ho Richard, it looks to me like the outer layers of shell have been worn or sanded off the dorsum leaving the underlying juvenile pattern. This was common practice during the 19th century; as the inner shell layers are often very different from the outer ones some unscrupulous dealers removed the outer layers with acid or abrasion and sold the shell as a new species.
Dave

[richard]

I thought Acid but there are no run marks and the top is smooth. I have seen a few fakes here as far as even bright painted shells.Orange is a favorite color here. I paid nothing for it but very curious.
Thanks Dave