I continue rephotographing coins to see what I can show that might be of interest. I shot this image to see if anything showed that would make me believe or deny the 'sand' patina was real or added. The coin came from a region from which we get both kinds. Looking at it, however, I am reminded of a game we in the photo hobby used to play years ago: "Whatzit?". The idea is to take macro photos that might be guessed or might stump fellow players. Is this obviously identifiable to those who collect coins of the 'sand' versions? Comments on either the authenticity or the identity are welcome. I should point out that the dark corners are the result of the lens not quite covering the full frame. Also here is a more standard 'Whatzit? to illustrate the game. If you admit to recognizing it, you may be admitting to your age. If you can name the brand name, there is no hope for you.
The crud sure looks stuck on the coin. But having never seen game patina close up before I'm off little help. Is the coin an LRB and thingy two a typewriter?
I feel like this is some sort of Rorschach test and I am failing... The top one, I see a face. Two eyes and a nose... The bottom one, well I could see it being a record/needle like @ominus1 said, but they are way before my time so I could neither confirm or deny.
A Victrola? That brown stuff doesn't look so appetizing now.... The grooves are quite wide, as is the needle, suggesting a 78 rpm record. Or it could be a wax cylinder player - hard to tell from the angle in the photo. The stylus/needle looks very crude.
In the first photo, it does look like a very "set-in" sand patina which I would guess to be genuine. For the second one, I've seen record grooves and that don't look like no record grooves I've ever seen. Second look, yeah those are record grooves and a space between two songs.
ive a friend whom goes by the name 'Phonoboy"...he collects and restores old players as such...same as you i reckon
..haha! ..i've used those, got many in a package for 10-25 cents.. on my Aunt Yuvonne's Beatles record player along with a roll of pennies to Listen to 1940's Hank Williams old 78's back in the mid sixties...fond memories...
The record is a 33 1/3 12" and the cartridge is a middle of the road Shure rugged enough to use on a changer. Good cartridges c.1965 when I got it could not take the abuse from a changer. I was amazed at the sloppy glue that held the stylus in the cartridge not to mention the decades of 'rust'. Unless you get close, you don't see the waves in the grooves. The coin was a trick hoping someone would guess it was a facing head. I have two of these. They have different legends. Can anyone read/separate the types for me?
The 1st coin is a Nabataean unit of Aretas IV and Shuqilat. Aretas IV reigned from 9 BC to 40 AD. His 1st wife was queen Huldu, who probably died so A4 married queen Shuqilat. Obverse : joint busts of Aretas IV (long hair, laureate) and Shuqilat right. Reverse : HRTT / ShQY / LT (from r. to l.) in three lines between two crossed cornucopias. Means : "Harithath (and) Shuqilat". Too bad I've no Nabataean font in my system. The second one in a Nabataean unit of Rabbel II, the last Nabataean king, with queen Gamilat. The rev. legend is RB'L / GMLT ("Rabb'al (and) Gamilat"). The Nabataean script remained in use in North Arabia during the whole Roman period, and evolved to become the Arabic Hijazi script, the Arabic writing that exists today.
