Coin Pics

[Rob]

if that helps

It isn't a 4 over 3. They are actually quite rare, more so than say the 1732/1. I can still count the number I have seen on one hand.

[Michael-Roo]

if that helps

It isn't a 4 over 3. They are actually quite rare, more so than say the 1732/1. I can still count the number I have seen on one hand.

To be fair, Teecee did suggest 3 over 1 (not 4 over 3), however, whatever is under the 3 is far too slight to be a 1.

Edited November 4, 2015 by Michael-Roo

[Rob]

Oops, so he did. That's what happens when you speed read. I saw the 1734 and 3 over 1, so made the words after 1734 'over' given there was one described as 1734/3/I in Nicholson.

[Michael-Roo]

Oops, so he did. That's what happens when you speed read. I saw the 1734 and 3 over 1, so made the words after 1734 'over' given there was one described as 1734/3/I in Nicholson.

No problem, we all do it.

You're the 'go to' bloke Rob. Can you tell me: how rare is the R over O obverse?

Edited November 4, 2015 by Michael-Roo

[Rob]

Oops, so he did. That's what happens when you speed read. I saw the 1734 and 3 over 1, so made the words after 1734 'over' given there was one described as 1734/3/I in Nicholson.

No problem, we all do it.

You're the 'go to' bloke Rob. Can you tell me: how rare is the R over O obverse?

Never seen one, though Nick found one in a DNW search in 1995. There is a thread somewhere because I asked the question a while ago. It would be interesting to see what this actually is in hand because I have a 1773 with OR over O - i.e. the underlying O was cut too far clockwise and then corrected.

[teecee]

i seen that 3 over whatever on one other example exact same sold at london coins. it said needs further study.

[Michael-Roo]

Oops, so he did. That's what happens when you speed read. I saw the 1734 and 3 over 1, so made the words after 1734 'over' given there was one described as 1734/3/I in Nicholson.

No problem, we all do it.

You're the 'go to' bloke Rob. Can you tell me: how rare is the R over O obverse?

Never seen one, though Nick found one in a DNW search in 1995. There is a thread somewhere because I asked the question a while ago. It would be interesting to see what this actually is in hand because I have a 1773 with OR over O - i.e. the underlying O was cut too far clockwise and then corrected.

That's very interesting. Its listed in Spink with a premium which would suggest its not that big a deal but, like you, I've not seen one apart from my own.

We were in Holland last week so the coin collection, Les Paul, cats (just joking) etc. went into the loft before we left. I'll get them down tomorrow and take a photo. The cats can stay. Ah, the silence…….

Edited November 4, 2015 by Michael-Roo

[Coinery]

Stuart, when it comes to hammered coin photography, you are the man!

Nooo! And my sincere apologies again for my present distractions! Blessing!

[Michael-Roo]

Stuart, when it comes to hammered coin photography, you are the man!

Nooo! And my sincere apologies again for my present distractions! Blessing!

Ha, ha! Yes you are. If I was able to produce coin pics like yours I'd be SO chuffed with myself.

All the best to you and the family from Eugenie and me.

[SWANNY]

I use my scanner connected to my PC , then set it at high resolution , then wait a few mins while it scan sit

Only problem here is the pictures come out at about 8Mb each

[Coinery]

You and your's too, m'friend!

[secret santa]

I use Serif Photoplus Starter Edition.

Free, simpler than Photoshop and does everything I need it to do for coin photos...

Take Care !!! - yesterday I started to install Serif and it installed something called From Doc to PDF which hijacked my browser and I've spent today trying to get rid of it (not totally successfully yet !) with anti-malware software. Not sure what I did wrong but if you're thinking of using this BE CAREFUL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Paulus]

I think I've made some improvements to my photography set up now

[azda]

I think I've made some improvements to my photography set up now

I'd have to agree

[Paulus]

I think I've made some improvements to my photography set up now

I'd have to agree

Thanks Dave, it's taken me long enough!

[Peter]

Very nice image Paulus.

Was it achieved after reference to books or the net?

I really must up my skills.

My eldest sells some coins for me under her user name and does ebay reasonable pics.

She takes a large cut though (last time 100%).

I'm a kind old git.

[Paulus]

On-line Peter, reading articles including the one Matteo recently posted, and this one link

My current set up is

• Panasonic DMC-LM7 (compact, 10.1 megapixels)
• Auto-focus
• Auto White Balance
• Lens approx 8" from the subject, directly over the coin
• Macro zoom to 0.2m 2X
• Tripod
• Self Timer
• A single source of daylight white light (from a desk lamp) angled at 45 degrees to the subject (in addition to standard indoor lighting, or daylight through the window) - no flash
• Non-reflective off-white background
• Paint.net for PP (Post Production - cropping, resizing, and merging obverse and reverse)

I'm so happy to finally be taking pics I'm satisfied with!

Edited November 13, 2015 by Paulus

[Peter]

Thanks Paulus

I shall feed this info to my daughters.

I currently have 3 Nikon SLR's

But also a couple of compacts (panosonic & cannon)

Both have macro's.

Between us I hope we can reproduce your quality images.

Please forward your coins ASAP.

[declanwmagee]

I think I've made some improvements to my photography set up now

I'd have to agree

Me too, Paul. Neither understated nor overstated...

[Paulus]

I have I think incrementally improved my photo set-up now with the addition of a second LED daylight lamp. The 2 are positioned at roughly 2 o/c and 9 o/c with the camera lens pointing directly above but the tripod at 6 o/c.

I retain my belief that great pics are crucial in distance buying and selling transactions, and that more attention needs to be paid to the quality of the pics on offer by sellers, dealers, and auction houses..

Would you prefer the pics at the top (previous best set-up, with 1 LED DAYLIGHT lamp), or those below (new set-up), if you were considering acquiring this coin?,

 

 

Edited May 12, 2016 by Paulus

[brg5658]

@Paulus I am very sorry that I did not see this topic until just now.  I have no idea how I missed it, but I only poke my head in every once in a while in the summer months, and I see it was posted in July.  Nonetheless, I will post a bit below on my methods.

Firstly, let me just say that your pictures have improved a great deal Paulus.  You're capturing luster very well in your more recent images, and the focus is also much sharper.  I feel a lot of people pay too much attention to the bells and whistles on fancy cameras or purchase really expensive lenses hoping that having the right (i.e., expensive) equipment will somehow make you a better photographer.  For coin photography, the most important pieces are often the very inexpensive ones of the equation.

Lighting is immensely important - I'd say the most important ingredient for taking good coin images.  The type of light bulb (LED, incandescent, fluorescent) you use is less important, but understanding how to use that light source is key.  For example, being able to set a custom white balance in your camera for your particular lights is key to getting realistic colors.  The size of the light source (small bulb vs. large bulb) or the apparent size of the light source (e.g., a small light source diffused acts like a larger light source) is also important for fully lighting the coin's surface.  The angle of the lights changes the appearance of the coin's surfaces a lot -- and your lights should always be placed above your mounted camera lens, if not even higher.  With regard to lighting (in particularly angle), I wrote up a little article on the NGC forums some 3+ years ago, and I think it may be helpful.  Keep your lights at a high angle to the surface on which the coin is placed, and diffuse them enough or use large enough light point surfaces to avoid hot spots on the coin.  See my little schematic below of what my photography rig looks like.

Second to lighting, I would say that mounting your camera on a solid copy stand or tripod is very important.  Images taken with a hand held camera will be a bit "shaky" or lacking in detail.  I have seen hand-held images of coins that get the message across, but the ability to zoom in and see details or inspect surfaces is very limited.  Not only is mounting your camera on a sturdy surface important, but it is also important that your camera is aligned to the flat surface of the coin properly.  By that I mean, the camera's detector (a small rectangular flat surface at the back of the lens where the image is focused) needs to be perfectly parallel with the coin's surface (i.e., in parallel planes).  This is important for focusing reasons.  The easiest way to make sure your camera is mounted parallel with the surface on which the coin is placed is to use a little mirror.  Place the mirror where you would place the coin, and adjust your camera in the x, y, and z planes as needed until the center of your lens' reflection is perfectly centered in the camera's viewfinder.  See the little schematic I created below.

Lastly, practice, practice, and practice some more.  I have now taken somewhere around 20,000 images of coins over the past 7 years.  I have only been happy with my images for the past 4.5 years.  It takes a while to get up to "happy" quality -- and I'm still improving my images and tweaking things today.  I try to take at least some coin photos 2-3 days of every week.  It just keeps me in the "zone".

I hope some of these hints help a little.

Best, Brandon

 

[Rob]

That's useful. Thanks.

 

[Paulus]

Thanks for you comments and set-up description @brg5658, I must admit that the thread title 'Coin Pics' does not make it obvious that the topic is coin photography!

I have found that I have had my best results with daylight LED lamps, but maybe that's simply because it involves less knowledge of, and fiddling with, white balance settings ...

This is a topic which I believe matters a great deal

[Paulus]

Spent ages on these this evening, comments invited on my best pics of my recent 1902 proof crown - sixpence set

[RLC35]

Paulus, Great pictures of some beautiful coins! Good job!