The practice of juicing photos of toned coins on E-Bay in order to make the colors appear more vivid has become so commonplace that it is almost accepted in the marketplace. I have taken great pride in cataloging my collection and attempting to take photographs that are high quality, aesthetically pleasing, and represent the actual appearance of the coin. I just completed re-imaging most of my higher end coins and was stunned when I compared my new photos to those taken by the E-Bay sellers from whom I purchased the coins.
I would like to show everyone a few examples from some of the biggest rainbow toned coin sellers on E-Bay. I will not divulge the names of the sellers and I ask those of you who recognize the seller's photo style not to publicly post their E-Bay name. We can easily discuss our opinions of their photos and the problem of photo juicing in a general sense without making it personal. For each coin shown, I would like to know whether you think the seller intentionally altered (juiced) the colors of the image in an attempt to increase financial gain or whether you think the difference between my photo and the sellers is a result of camera, lighting, and angle. Too make this easy, just use the term JUICED for every photo that you think was altered. For reference, my photos will always be on the bottom. Okay, here we go!
Coin#1) 1944-D Jefferson Nickel NGC MS67 "T" (Appalachian)
Coin#2) 1961-D Roosevelt Dime NGC MS65 FT
Coin#3) 1958-D Franklin Half Dollar NGC MS67*
The top photo was taken by Heritage. I know that Heritage does not intentionally juice photos but wanted to point out that the actual coin does not appear red at all. The middle photo is from the E-Bay seller. My photo on the bottom is a very accurate representation of the actual appearance of the coin.
Coin#4) 1880-S Morgan Dollar NGC MS64*
Coin#5) 1880-S Morgan Dollar NGC MS65
This coin is very deeply toned over semi-prooflike surfaces. It is extraordinarily difficult to photograph. This is the best photo that I could take and if you look closely, you can see the reflection of my entire camera in the coin. Keep that in mind when you decide.
Coin#6) 1999 SAE PCI MS67 "Blast White" LOL
Now it is time for you opinions regarding these photos. Please answer by listing the coin number and either the word JUICED or NO. For example, if you believe every seller's image is altered, your list would look like this.
- JUICED
- JUICED
- JUICED
- JUICED
- JUICED
- JUICED
As always, commentary is welcome!