[Ancients] Top 10 Index

It seems that you are a lot like me in your enjoyment of getting a good still photo out of a coin. I might change my tune on not liking to take videos at some point but for now I just enjoy the art of still photography. Plus if it makes you feel any better when it comes to having a catalog of coins to choose from for this side hobby you are in a lot better spot than me (or most anyone). You have thousands of coins to choose from and for my collection it might be generous of me to add the "s" in hundreds.

I agree that small coins are hard to photograph. Rough surfaces are tough but I also have a hard time on small coins with really nice patina. The patina always comes across as shiny and for the smaller coins this gives a weird plastic look because the glare seems out of proportion to the devices. I had this problem on a prutah I photographed recently.

I like your photo of the Lampaskos very much. I always have to decide if I am going to try and highlight a profile in shadow or if it is high relief enough that it will look sharp lit from the face side. I typically go with shadow. Lighting that one from the top was a good move. The eyelid lighting on both portraits looks uniform which is nice.

Here is a photo from my collection of a small coin with rough surfaces. I think it turned out okay. As you said, some coins will just never be beautiful.

I have allowed myself to feel that way occasionally after one of the many brutal shutouts at auction this year. After looking at my purchases this year I have to say that I think this is one of my best years ever for sub-$100 purchases. I am looking forward to posting my $10 - $100 Budget Top 10.

All that to say don't let the market get you down. If someone at my experience level can find good value someone with your knowledge should definitely be able to. I hope you will post a top list this year even if you don't have 10. Just a ranking of the coins you bought with some commentary would be plenty interesting!

 

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for me a damaged and ragged coin can be as interesting as a beautiful coin to photograph.

and some coins pose new challenges - like this one that didn't work with my normal approach to raise the coin a 1/2 inch off the background. The hole in the middle required a new approach for platform.

 

Looks like it will be a banner year for Top Ten lists! I'm going to have to make a spreadsheet to keep track of which lists I still need to view .

I'm awaiting the arrival of some coins before posting mine. The last auction I participated in will have three of the year's top 10 .

I only bought 25 coins this year. It's possible that I will pick up a few more by the end of the year.

Unfortunately, this year I could probably do a Top Ten Mistakes of 2021 list .

This wasn't one of the mistakes, although it won't make my top 10 favorites. An interesting coin despite the condition. Pautalia had some very interesting reverses!


THRACE, Pautalia. Caracalla
AE 30 mm, 12.34 gm
Obv: AVT K M AVPH ANTΩNINOC; laureate, draped and cuirassed bust left, holding spear and shield
Rev: OVΛΠIAC ΠAVTAΛI / AC; dancing satyr right, naked, clasping hands with seated female figure left, dressed in full skirt.
Ref: Varbanov 5189 var. (obv. legend).

The reverse appears to depict this Hellenistic statue, "The invitation to the dance".


The above statue is reconstructed from fragments.
https://www.researchgate.net/figure...-assumed-ancient-motif-made-of_fig3_297438520

 

Looking forward for your top 10, @TIF as I am sure it will be a strong thread
It wouldn't be a bad idea to post "Top 10 mistakes" or "Bottom 10 coins of the year"
But since the ancient coins section does not have subsections this will only make other interesting topics dissappear from first page.

 

I enjoy your photo style @Sulla80 . It helps that you typically have great coins to share though. That top coin has nice detail and I agree the ragged flan doesn’t detract from it at all. The bottom coin came out nice as well. It looks raised uniformly like the others so bravo on the altered process.

That’s a wonderful reverse @TIF ! I can see why it would be a contender. I like the coins that reference a famous sculpture or other artistic work.

I am glad to hear that you have enough additions this year for a top list. I am very much looking forward to seeing it! Sorry to hear you had a few potential missteps. I bet the lesser loved additions will grow on you eventually. Most of what I thought were my mistakes ended up being coins I liked more over time... with one or two painful exceptions.

You are also right that it is shaping up to be an intense Top 10 season! I capture the theads as quickly as I see them but even I will need to utilize my own list to make sure I’ve read / liked / commented on them all. It’s an enjoyable time for browsing CT around this time of year.

 

We now have more Top 10 threads than will fit on the front page so it seems like a good time to bump this thread again.

I still haven’t set my final 10 for my overall or budget list so I’ll continue with posting a new photo taken in 2021. One of my projects for 2022 I want to complete is to construct a new photo set up out of wood to replace my current metal set up.

This coin was a budget example I got for around $40 if I remember correctly. For a 12 Caesars coin with a pleasant portrait I was happy with that and still like this example very much.

 

My "almost made it" group.

Pottery runners-up:

From the Arthur M. Sackler Collection: a cup and three large vessels from ancient Iran (top left, top right, center right, lower right), early first millennium BC. Largest dimensions provided here: Cup height = 10.8 cm (4.25”), vessel at top left = 25.4 cm (10”) wide, jug at center right = 24.13 cm (9.5”) tall, jug at bottom right = 20.3 cm (8”) tall. The squat lekythos fragment (not from Sackler's collection), lower left, is about 3” in length.

Weapons runners-up:

Left: Bronze dirk, likely western or northwestern Iran, 1200-800 BC, 42.5 cm (16.73”)
Middle: Bronze dagger with flanged grip for inlays, Western Asia – possibly Luristan, 1200-800 BC, 29.7 cm (11.7”)
Right: Bronze spear butt (counterpoise), Western Asia, likely NW Iran, early first millennium BC, 17.2 cm (6.8”)

And an actual coin!:

Tigraios
AE unit, c. 138/7 - 133/2 BC
Van't Haaff 5.5
Photo credit: www.forumancientcoins.com

I only purchased a couple of coins this year. Despite its ugliness, this one is special and it filled an important gap in my collection of coins from Elymais. It was issued by Tigraios, likely a local king who took control of the Elymaean capital Susa in 138/7 BC and seized power from Phraates II, the Parthian viceroy to Elymais. This is, to date, my only coin from the period of the so-called Early Kamnaskirid Dynasty – making it the oldest coin in my Elymais collection.

 

My runner up is this scarce left-facing denarius of Faustina I. I previously wrote about it here.


Faustina I, AD 138-140.
Roman AR denarius, 3.17 g, 17.3 mm, 12 h.
Rome, AD 140.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, left.
Rev: IVNONI REGINAE, Throne, against which rests transverse sceptre; below, peacock with tail spread.
Refs: RIC 339b; BMC 143; Cohen 220 (no collection cited); Strack 405 (citing BMC and Reka Devnia); Reka Devnia 1313; RCV --; CRE 132.

 

I've started to put in order what I've bought in 2021, and for once think I might well have a top 10 to show instead of past years short lists...

Q

Édit : typo

 

Wow even your almost made it artifacts are amazing! The bronze dirk is especially impressive.

Thanks for adding them to this thread.

Great Faustina as always RC.

I just added your list to the OP. Wonderful coins!

We now have 30 Top 10s so far this year. I figured it was a good time to bump this thread again. I may be ready to post my budget list this afternoon.

Here are a few more coin photos I updated this year.

 

We have several new Top 10s posted so I figured this was a good time to bump this thread again.

Here is another coin that I rephotographed this year.


Greek Cities in Illyria
Dyrrachion AR Stater, struck ca. 450-350 BC
Dia.: 21.5 mm
Wt.: 9.78 g
Obv.: Cow suckling calf
Rev.: ΔΥΡ around star pattern within linear square; club in field
Ref.: BMC 22, SNG Copenhagen 421
Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 64, lot 2214 (May 2012)

I’m very happy with this one. I’ve been experimenting with some of the ideas talked about in the below thread started by @TIF about getting a perfectly black background with minimal post processing. I’ve been happy with the results so far!
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/coin-photography-a-blacker-black.349008/

The only problem is that every time I tweak my process I want to go back and rephotograph ALL my coins...

 

What a coincidence. I was thinking of adding a post to that thread. The ultrablack paint turned out to be problematic and I've since gone to what many of you have been using all along: black velvet! It works much better than anything else I've tried. The scrap I'm using was from some of my grandmother's sewing stuff and there was a note with it. Apparently this fabric was leftover from some wealthy woman's cocktail dress, circa 1920s. The dress is in the box too, replete with jet beads popular at the time. Maybe the secret is using 100 year old velvet .

 

I’ll be looking forward to your assessment of the black paint and why it’s proven problematic. The velvet, paint and @dougsmit ’s shadow cone all seem to work well for me so far. The velvet required the most post processing because of the little flecks of dust that get easily caught in it but it also allows the most fine tuning of the coin position. I think I’ll keep trying all three for a while till I settle on a favorite.

That was a fun thread you started. I enjoyed reading it.

 

I’m still debating whether to post a list before the year is out because I currently have a couple of coins on the way and one of them might not make it in time. On top of that I’m also watching a coin in auction that would definitely make the list if I win it. I’d like to try do my list as soon as possible before the hype for the lists dies down.
Anyone else here in a similar situation with their list?

 

I have 9 coins that are definitely in my Top 10 but I am also waiting on a coin that would make the list if it arrives in time. I think I’ll probably post my list as soon as that coin comes in or the very end on 2021 if it doesn’t. Last year I tempted fate by posting a coin before it arrived. Luckily the curse didn’t get me and it arrived safe and sound.

I think posting your list at the beginning of next year is perfectly reasonable. I look forward to seeing your list again this year.

 

Here's one that didn't make it into my top 10 this year...
Being a specialist collector of this series it should be but there is already one at number 3 and I'm trying to collate as varied a selection as possible, there can only be one top ten!
Here she is....
Sussala 1113-1120 AD, Copper Kaserah or Punchshi 19mm (6.58gr).
Obverse- Goddess Ardochsho/Lakshmi seated facing in half lotus position, with Nagari legend 'Sri' to left 'Sussa' to right
Reverse- King standing facing and sacrificing at altar holding trident in right hand, with Nagari legend 'Deva' bottom right.....
West #1112-1120 Second example (Variety).
Ex William Spengler Collection.
Purchased from Coin India - vcoins - August 2021.
There are 2 types of Sussala coins with the obverse legend beginning with or without 'Sri'. On both, the reverse normally depicts the ruler holding the trident in his left hand yet this rare example shows the trident held in the right hand. As a specialist collector of this series this was a must have with the added bonus of it being from the Ex William Spengler Collection.

 

The shadow cone works best with directional light and less well with a ringlight. Perhaps the answer would be to paint the base under the cone with ultra black paint and ask the cone to protect it. My current problem is finding a support suitable for 5mm diameter coins. They are too easy to knock off a support and glass over the shadow background always has some dust that requires retouching.

 

@dougsmi, I've found that a nice flat nail head works OK. I tap it through a tiny piece of wood layered over top with a small square of velvet. Sometimes a tiny dab of museum wax is necessary to hold the coin in place, if it's in high relief.

 

I was getting ready to post my Top 10, but just won a coin that makes it in. Here’s what got pushed into spot 11:

Umayyad Caliphate
Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, r. 685-705 (693-697)
Haleb (Aleppo) Mint, AE Fals, 20.87 mm x 3.12 grams
Obv.: li-ʿabd allāh ʿabd al-malik amīr al-muʾ minīn (for the servant of God ʿAbd al-Malik, Commander of the Believers), Caliph standing holding sword right, with whip or ‘girdle’ hanging left
Rev.: lā ilāha illā allāh waḥdahu muḥammad rasūl allāh (there is no god but God, he is alone, Muḥammad is his messenger), symbol (transformed cross?) on steps wāfin upwards to left, ḥalab (mint name) downwards to right
Ref.: Album 3529 (p. 37), Goodwin, 43

I had been keeping an eye out for one of these ‘standing caliph’ type Dirhams for a while now. The goal was to find one with pleasing details at a reasonable price. This one satisfied both of those requirements!

 

It's nice to once more see everyone's year end lists!

I selected my top 10 and am getting the write-up ready to be posted soon. This years list will be somewhat unusual for me: there are surprisingly many Greek and surprisingly few medieval coins on it, mainly because I didn't have much medieval auction luck this year. On the other hand, there are some ancient coins on the list that I'm very happy about.

Here is my #11 – behold the coin that almost made it:

Valens, Roman Empire, AR siliqua, 367–378 AD, Trier mint. Obv: DN VALENS PF AVG; bust of Valens, draped, cuirassed, and pearl-diademed, r. Rev: VRBS ROMA; Roma seated l. on throne, holding Victory on globe and sceptre; in exergue TRPS•. 17mm, 1.71g. Ref: RIC IX Treveri 27E/45B.