Lycia-Mithrapata photo

My Triton coins arrived and I took a photo. The coin has color which the CNG photo did not get. Same with the First Meris which I have not photographed yet. I wonder if they deliberately drain the color?



CNG Photo

 

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I think often silver coins are depicted in b/w. Do you think it's a bad color?

 

I don't know the answer to your question...but that is one COOL coin!!

 

Yes, CNG deliberately desaturates their images, presumably so that that the color does not distract from the surfaces and detail. I'm not sure it's a great idea though - your image might have sold the coin for more. Holy smokes that one awesome coin!

 

HUGE PLUS 1 !!!!

That coin is absolutely spectacular!!!

 

Wow... what a coin! Simply amazing!

 

The reverse style is particularly wonderful! Congratulations on an excellent addition.

I've often been pleasantly surprised by coins purchased from CNG after only seeing their images. That is much better than being disappointed, and I suspect that's why they desaturate their images and prioritize the surface condition over the luster in photographs. It shows the value of lot viewing (although the lights generally used in lot viewing also have a tendency to highlight problems rather than color, which is why it's helpful to view coins in as many circumstances as possible to learn what differences occur in which conditions).

 

Explains a lot. Thanks. When I held it during the viewing it popped under the lights. It jumped to the top of my list immediately followed by the First Meris. I am thrilled that they took the color out of the photo and I am glad they did poorly with the First Meris photo. CNG had an older photo of the First Meris on-line from 9 years ago and it was far superior to the one used in Triton. However it also misses out on catching the color. I will post when I take a photo.

Here is another photo I took of Mithrapata. I thought it might have been too blurry to use, but now I am wondering if this is the better representation.

 

Ditto, ditto, ditto. That is a beauty.

 

Gorgeous! Nice job capturing the toning, surfaces, and details. Great coin, great shot!

 

Wow, that's an amazing coin, 42BC => your new toned photo makes it "all that" ... congrats!!

Yah, it's always awesome when the coin-buyer feels even better once the coin arrives, eh?

Good news story!! (man, I'm very jealous of that baby)



... I'm a total fan of those sweet archaic punches (very cool addition)

 

That is a lovely coin. I have long wished to see how CNG photographs their coins. I suspect they have a fancy rig that makes good photos for printing in catalogs in B&W but loses points for natural color. Most of their silver looks like it was shot in black and white and the tones on the bronzes make me wish they were as well. We return to the comment made before when this subject came up here. A seller will have happier customers if the coins are better looking than the photos. Regular buyers probably expect the status quo so changing to 'good' full color photos would probably be met with unhappy customers who are used to the coins being better.

Who wants to return to catalogs showing plaster casts rather than the coins themselves? I didn't think so.

 

Doug nailed it. The photographers don't try to make the coin look worse, they try to make it appear accurate. Doubly so for the printed sales. Add to that the sheer number of coins that need to be photographed. They aren't going to be sitting there trying to get the lighting just so for every lot. They're going to try to get them accurate and consistent, so the buyer always knows what to suspect.

I'll try to get a photo of the setup for you sometime!

 

that reverse is just stunning man....what a great coin.

 

I have never been disappointed with a CNG purchase ... the dudes are always helpful, the coins always look fantastic in-hand and they always consistently arrive on time (I can put money-down when the purchase is gonna arrive in my mailbox)

=> yup, they're a well-oiled machine!!


... hey Ardy ... ummm, does that get me a discount?

 

Understandable. It took me a dozen shots to get a well focused and well lit photo of Mithra, but I am having a heck of a time trying to get a good photo of the First Meris. But to give you an example of how a CNG photo can differ and its effect on bidding.

Triton photo (hammer $1,200 plus 19%)




CNG photo from their Coin Shop in 2009 ($1,750)



They look like the identical photo, but with the newer photo (Triton) having been played with......to its detriment IMO. The difference in photos was the primary reason I attended in person. I figured they were worth seeing in hand before bidding.

 

What you've done with the Mithrapata is get an outstanding photo of an outstanding coin. I can't wait to see the one of the First Meris that you're finally satisfied with.

Speaking of the photography in Triton, I kept wondering about the pics that were used for the A.K Collection lots. Here's one from a lot of denarii. The dull, low-contrast look with the weird greenish hue certainly isn't typical of CNG.

 

No Meris better than the first.
Way to go Amphipolis...show the Romans how its done.

Roman Republic
Macedonia, First Meris,
Amphipolis Mint
167 - 149 BC.
AR Tetradrachm x 32 mm x 16.59 grams
Obv: Diademed and draped bust of Artemis right, bow and quiver over shoulder, in the center of a Macedonian shield,
Rev: MAKEΔONΩN ΠPΩTHΣ, horizontal club, monograms above and below, all within oak wreath,
ref: SNG COP 1313

 

I wonder if the AK images were shot somewhere other than their usual facilities and/or by a different photographer.

 

An interesting read on Mithrapata and Perikles. About 7 pages long.

http://www.academia.edu/8738674/The_Heroic_Image_and_the_Portrait_Coinages_of_Lykian_Dynasts