This is a continuing problem I have with photographing proof coins. It looks like the coin was wiped with dirty water in the 10-4 direction. It can't be seen in hand. It can barely be seen under 3x and only because I know it's there. It can be easily seen at 9x but it's still not as prominent as in this image. This coin is in a NGC slab. Any suggestions?
Have you tried diffused lighting? Here's a proof quarter, I used a cylindrical juice container with top and bottom cut out:
That's what Goodman suggests in his book, but I got the impression he used diffusers to soften the harsh highlights. So the short answer is, 'No, I haven't tried diffused lighting (yet).' I'll try that out and will post the results in this thread.
Hey, that is pretty cool. Every time I try to use diffused lighting on a proof coin, I end up with reverse contrast.
