My last 2 posts turned out to be a valuable disaster, they were just too good to be true. To Slab or Not - 1909-S VDB Too Good To Be True ? - GEM BU 1908 Indian Head I bought this coin with the Whitman Folder 1916-1945 Complete Mercury Dime Set with 78 coins, paid about $100 for the book. Neither the seller nor I didn't know what we had and I was buying a bunch if silver coins at spot price and this, and a few other books came with it. Strike out or do I finally get a hit?
If it *is* a fake (and I'm just a newbie), they did a nice job of making it look "worn out". (Edit: my fault. I guess the counterfeiters are quite good at making them appear aged...) Sorry to ask, but... did you Google it? https://www.google.com/webhp?#q=how to tell if a 1916 d mercury dime is fake Edit: possibly fake according to this page: http://www.ebay.com/gds/1916-D-merc...spot-them-and-avoid-/10000000001222100/g.html "The D had rounded slightly arched tips to the aft of the top and bottom of the D, where as the fake are more straight and pointed."
Is it possible to post clearer pictures? Some goofiness in the legends, like more so than you would expect to due heavy wear, but I can't tell how much is due to photography. For example on the bottom of the right side of the fasces (to the left of the D in dime), the little branch looks like a blob on top of the corner of the fasces. Normally it should wear down evenly.
The top and bottom of the D should be parallel, and they don't look parallel on this coin. It looks like the bottom of the D is slanting upward. But maybe that's the lighting on the pic. Hard to tell.
I need to buy me a tripod, these hands are just not as steady. I have been reading some of photography threads so hopefully I can improve on my pics.
I need to get me a decent camera, not much of a photographer, don't even have a tripod. Been looking into camera set up, under $500 maybe..
It can be considerably less than that. I use a Canon Coolpix ($180), a small copy stand ($30), and a couple of lamps (about $50). Just make sure any camera you buy has a macro focusing (closeup) feature. Here's a recent pic I took with my caveman setup...
Better pictures would help for a positive identification, but if I had to guess without them, I would say authentic. However, don't spend your money yet. :>)
I just ordered a copy stand, didn't know things like that existed. I have a coolpix with macro function so gonna find me a couple of lamps and start from there. Thanks again,
Are there any anomalies on the edge of the coin? Anything that looks like it might have been filed? Any oddness in the reeding?
@John Anthony Is the background of your picture photoshopped in? If so, what would be a good background for the original picture?
Use photoscape and when you crop it can set the background color. See this thread https://www.cointalk.com/threads/photo-editing-and-presentation-with-photoscape.175157/
I use Paint.NET. There are a number of different FREE image editing programs that achieve the same effects. You don't need to buy photoshop. Be sure to read your camera manual for adjusting the white balance, and I prefer to use a black background when taking pics. Anything else seems to alter the chromatics by reflection. You can search this forum for photography threads and find a LOT of reading.