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CoinTalk > Coin Forums > US Coins Forum Photography 1884 Proof Half --- Grade it

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Page 1 of 2 1 2 >   LinkBack Thread Tools Rate Thread Display Modes 01-12-2009, 11:15 AM   #1 (permalink) Collect89 Coin Collector     Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 1,497 Photography 1884 Proof Half --- Grade it Please let me share one of my favorite proof half dollars with you. It is a proof 1884 Liberty Seated with some deep champagne color on the perimeter. It is in an NGC holder (slabbed between 1992 & 1997). Please take a shot at guessing the grade and designation. Let me also share my newly acquired proof coin photographic process. It was only necessary to take a total of four photos & invest only about 5 minutes to take the pictures in this post. I probably spent twice that long cutting & pasting them into the two collage photos posted here. I hope the following information is helpful to all the photographers at CT. I want to thank Lehigh & others for your past coin photography advice. All these photos were taken with the camera on a tripod viewing down on the coin at about a 5 degree angle. In the first photograph, light from a GE Reveal light bulb was aimed directly down onto the coin. A piece of translucent drafting paper was placed between the light source & the coin to help diffuse the point light source. This abundance of light directed onto the coin’s proof mirrors allowed the color on the mirror surface to be photographed. The blue background was later edited into the photos to enhance the coin’s deep champagne color toning. The second photograph was taken with the camera and coin at the same positions. However, a tube of rolled-up drafting paper was placed over the coin so that the camera was viewing the coin down the tube. Two GE Reveal bulbs were directed at the sides of the tube providing completely diffuse light from the sides. This lighting technique illuminates the coin’s devices but there is no light shining directly down onto the coin’s mirror surface so the mirrors appear dark. The camera used is a 4 year old Olympus Camedia Zoom D-560 set to 2048 x 1536 resolution. The macro lens feature was turned on and the flash was turned off. The lens optical zoom was set to maximum providing a working distance between the camera & coin of about 12 inches. The camera was mounted on a tripod & the timer was used to avoid any camera motion at the time the photo was taken. The photographs were edited using the Adobe PhotoDeluxe software supplied with the camera. Very best regards, Collect89 Date: 1884 Denomination: Half Dollar Type: Liberty Seated with Motto Manufacture: Proof Mintage: 875 Attached Thumbnails     __________________ "All of us are smarter than any one of us"   01-12-2009, 11:16 AM   #2 (permalink) Treashunt The Other Frank     Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: New York Posts: 16,669 Collect: That is a beautiful $1/2! My guess: PR-65 cameo? __________________ The Other Frank "Buy The Book Before The Coin!" http://www.whitmanbooks.com/Default....wUpcoming_1208   01-12-2009, 01:16 PM   #3 (permalink) borgovan Supporter**   Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,359 Wicked-nice pics. PR-64 CAM.   01-12-2009, 03:49 PM   #4 (permalink) Collect89 Coin Collector     Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 1,497 Quote: Originally Posted by borgovan Wicked-nice pics. PR-64 CAM. This is what the photo looked like before the background color was changed to blue. Very best regards, collect89 Attached Thumbnails   __________________ "All of us are smarter than any one of us"   01-12-2009, 04:13 PM   #5 (permalink) 900fine doggone it people like me     Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 3,807 My Mood: Judging on that 2nd photo, it's a DCAM for sure. The numeric grade on these is extremely sensitive to hairlines which cannot be seen in photos. It could be anywhere PR60-70. So I'll just grade it "fabulous". My avatar is longingly gazing up at this coin...   01-12-2009, 08:16 PM   #6 (permalink) Collect89 Coin Collector     Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 1,497 baby hairlines (BH) Quote: Originally Posted by 900fine Judging on that 2nd photo, it's a DCAM for sure. The numeric grade on these is extremely sensitive to hairlines which cannot be seen in photos. It could be anywhere PR60-70. There are some baby hairlines. They are random, quite tiny & light. They were probably put on the coin 100 years ago. On a scale of 1 to 10 of acceptable hairlines, this coin's hairlines would be something like a 2.5 Very best regards, collect89 __________________ "All of us are smarter than any one of us"   01-12-2009, 08:22 PM   #7 (permalink) Leadfoot Numismatist     Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 5,620 My Mood: I'd hope it was graded 64 if it has hairlines (even 2.5 out of 10 ), so that's what I'm going to guess. Gorgeous coin, BTW & thanks for sharing...Mike   01-12-2009, 09:40 PM   #8 (permalink) ksparrow Coin Hoarder     Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 1,279 Great coin, and thanks for the photo tips. PR64?   01-12-2009, 09:59 PM   #9 (permalink) Hobo Numismatist In Training     Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Colorado Springs, CO Posts: 5,027 My Mood: PF-64 Cam Nice coin. __________________ No state shall emit bills of credit, make any thing but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts, coin money . . . - US Constitution, Article 1, Section 10 ANA LM-3799; OHNS LM-59; SUSCC R-4005. All coins stored in bank safe deposit box.   01-12-2009, 10:15 PM   #10 (permalink) bqcoins You get what you pay for.     Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Nebraska/Iowa Posts: 4,770 My Mood: PR-63 and might I say ZOWIE!!!! What color, I find that changing the backgrounds, you can bring out different colors in coins, I personally like using pink/purple backgrounds to photograph copper and blue/black for silver, and brown for gold. __________________ BQ Sometime Numismatic Consultant See my Bust Halves here: http://s240.photobucket.com/albums/f...albumview=grid See my Holey coins here:http://s240.photobucket.com/albums/f...albumview=grid   01-13-2009, 03:35 PM   #11 (permalink) Collect89 Coin Collector     Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 1,497 Quote: Originally Posted by bqcoins PR-63 and might I say ZOWIE!!!! What color, I find that changing the backgrounds, you can bring out different colors in coins, I personally like using pink/purple backgrounds to photograph copper and blue/black for silver, and brown for gold. Thank you for the color advice !!!!!! Very best regards, collect89 __________________ "All of us are smarter than any one of us"   01-12-2009, 10:24 PM   #12 (permalink) mark_h Numismatist     Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 6,189 Nice coin - I agree with PF64 CAM. __________________ the other mark Best Baan Community Empty airtite seeks unwanted coins. All sizes welcome.   01-13-2009, 03:30 PM   #13 (permalink) Collect89 Coin Collector     Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 1,497 Everyone at CT guessed the correct grade based upon the photos. Congratulations. This coin was passed around in an advanced grading class in 2007. With the coin in hand, everyone in the class basically agreed that it should make cameo. The individuals in the class graded it either 63CAM, 64CAM, or 65CAM. The majority rule was PF64CAM. It resides in the NGC PF63 holder with no cameo designation. Thanks for looking. Very best regards, collect89 Attached Thumbnails   __________________ "All of us are smarter than any one of us"   01-15-2009, 02:56 AM   #14 (permalink) Irespire Senior Member   Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 220 PF 63 is harsh, I'd put it at PF 64 Cam + also.   01-15-2009, 03:15 AM   #15 (permalink) Magman U.S. Money Collector     Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 3,019 My Mood: gonna send it in again for the cam designation?   Page 1 of 2 1 2 > Bookmarks Digg del.icio.us StumbleUpon Google Would you like to support CoinTalk? Coin Talk Code of Honor 1. Post unto others as you would have them post unto you. 2. Keep it clean, like a 1950s family television show. 3. If you don't like the coin, don't trash the person. « Nice tone or nasty stain? | two 1804 half cents for grading and attribution » Thread Tools Show Printable Version Email this Page Display Modes Rate This Thread Switch to Linear Mode Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode Rate This Thread: 5 : Excellent 4 : Good 3 : Average 2 : Bad 1 : Terrible Posting Rules You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts BB code is On Smilies are On [IMG] code is On HTML code is Off Trackbacks are On Pingbacks are On Refbacks are On Forum Rules Similar Threads Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post It was a VERY GOOD YEAR Lehigh96 Coin Chat 15 10-16-2008 01:11 AM Proof Sets Wanted... Benz Coinz Open 0 07-12-2008 07:53 PM Trivia: Millennium Coins Part 2 N. America/U.S.A. 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