sale photos compared to coins in hand

When you buy a coin from a photograph, after you've got it, it is a good idea to compare the coin to the photograph and see if you can tell what the other coins from that dealer really look like.

I bought a Lucilla (daughter of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina, Jr. and wife of Lucius Verus) sestertius from CNG from this photo:



32 mm. 28.52 grams.
HILARITAS
RIC III 1742 (Aurelius); MIR 18, 7-6a; Banti 18.

When it came I was pleased to find out it really looks like this:




The CNG photo made it look "dry" and darker than it really is. My iPad photo looks just like the coin (which I am holding up to my screen as I type).

I wonder if many CNG coins look better in hand?

Do you have a story of a coin that looks different in hand that in the dealer's photo?

 

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I've never purchased anything from CNG but I did buy a coin from one of the recent fsr auctions and it was rather washed out and there wasn't too much detail to be seen. I was quite happy when it arrived though. Unfortunately I don't have a "before", but here is my "after".

 

In my experience, CNG's photos are typically much darker than reality. I know they have been making some attempts to improve their bronze photography in particular, but even silver will often look more toned than it is in hand. In short, I'm not totally confident their photography always accurately represents the coin in hand and I usually won't bid on coins I don't already know, haven't viewed personally or had someone I trust view it.

 

I like both sets of images-- the CNG pictures for the good detail, and yours for what you report as a more "accurate" in-hand look.

"Accurate" meaning what it looks like to you at that moment in time, in that exact light, held at that exact angle, with your eyes and their limitations, on your screen, etc...


Heritage had marked inaccuracy of colors in their 2016 CICF Signature auction. One of only two ancient coin shows I've attended, I was able to lot view the night before the auction:



Greens were rendered as reds/browns in the catalog. The written descriptions were accurate. For the coin shown above, the catalog notes "green patina". This photo from the show with the actual coin and the print catalog together makes the differences indisputable regardless of how the picture displays on your monitor.

Another example from that catalog:



In hand it is green:

 

The advent of online color photography changed the 'rules' for coin photography. What looked good in a Black & White image in a catalog does not work online. Sellers who did not adapt risk wronging either buyers or consignors. It is up to each of us to learn what to expect from the photos provided. I consider CNG's silver reasonably good but am not thrilled by their bronze images. Come to think of it I am not all that thrilled by MY photos either. Glare reflected from the surfaces of a coin shows detail but ruins color accuracy. Getting the balance between the two can drive me crazy.

 

That's two of us!!!!

 

I spend hours photographing my coins, usually at least a half hour per-coin until I get it "just right". I could optimize this with a better photography setup or a better photography skillset (or both). I honestly surprise myself every time I get a photo I'm happy with because of all of the embarrassing rejects I end up deleting.

I can understand why auction houses don't end up with perfect pictures every time and it really helps to lot-view with the catalog next to you to understand the parameters for each company as they're all slightly different.

 

Coins from Pegasi tend to look washed out. Here are their photos, each followed by mine for comparison.

Pegasi old B&W print catalog:



My photo:



Pegasi:



My photo:



Pegasi:



My photo:



Pegasi:



My photo:

 

..most of the coins i buy look quite a bit better in hand... i think that works to an advantage for sellers...less returns because of dissapointment...i.e. 'if you like the pic, you'll love the coin'...

 

Here one of my recent buys..
1st sellers pic, 2nd my pic, 3rd also my pic,

I think the third is probably most what the coin looks like in hand, but i only have a picture of one side taken that way..

 

One has to get used to what a said seller's pics are compared to reality. Once your brain has that adjusted, it usually works fine.

Beware when you're considering getting into business with a new house !

I would prefer pictures to reflect reality in first place though.

Q

 

We bout our house in Maryland sight-unseen besides realtor's pictures when we were living in Hawaii. Driveway and front yard looked relatively flat in the photos. Imagine our surprise when we pulled up to a ~30 degree inclined driveway! Sure makes it interesting shoveling the driveway in the winter...Luckily the rest of the house is great. Just the driveway sucks. We will be for sure selling during the summer months haha.

 

Sometimes the difference between sale photos & actual can be dramatic ! Carthago is right about CNG photos, often they are too dark . I've got samples from CNG on a tet of Otacilia Severa, & a Roman Provincial bought from Heritage slabbed.

 

I find HirschNachfolger photos are not great. Here is a coin that remained unsold (which i bought)
First photo is from Hirsch/ second previous photo from Nomos. When I saw the original Nomos one....I snapped it up.

 

John, these do not look like the same coin .

 

I agree/ when I checked coin provenance/ it stated:
ex: Sig. Mieza
ex: Nomos 2009 lot 39
coin I eventually received matches the Nomos (photo) coin
John

PS: Kunker material always better in hand!

 

Hirsch has some of the worst photos. Happily, I knew this Sphinx cistophorus well (I was outbid ~5 years prior at 2x the price I eventually paid at Hirsch).

Their picture:

Mine:

 

That is absolutely beautiful!

 

All of AJ coins would fit that defination

 

P-man, did you link the wrong photos? Those are not the same coins.