Featured Exhibit - Barber Quarter - 1916-D - August 2008 - Lehigh96

This was the first coin I ever purchased in my pursuit of a complete raw Barber Quarter collection. It bought it from Heritage Auctions in the November 2001 Santa Clara Signature Sale #275. I basically got the coin for half price due to the fact that it was un-certified and the auction photos were terrible.




The challenge with photographing a raw coin is that you really have no excuses for not taking a very high quality photo as you don't have any reflective plastic to deal with. You need to be able to capture the surfaces including both texture and abrasions as well as the luster and of course, color. If I ever intended to sell this coin as a raw MS64, I must be able to show the potential buyer that coin meets my subjective assigned grade. Here are the results of my efforts:



I took this photo on August 13th, 2008 using a Canon Powershot SD870IS Digital ELPH 8.0 megapixel camera. I used two overhead OTT lights with my kitchen light (flourescent) as background lighting. I did not use a copy stand and took the photos holding the camera in my hand.

We must keep in mind that there are no excuses for a poor photo of a raw coin. But when dealing in absolutes, there is bound to be an exception. In this particular instance, we are speaking of the incredible laziness of the coin owner to remove the coin from its storage before imaging. Although I originally purchased this coin for a raw Barber Quarter collection, it currently resides under plastic in a 20th Century Type Set Capital Holder. I was too lazy to take the coin out of the holder and was determined to take a high quality photograph of my raw coin through the plastic. Here are the original photos before photoshop:



And yes that reflection you see is my camera and my hands proving that I did not use a copy stand. Despite my laziness, I am very pleased with the final result. The photos give a great impression of the coin's surfaces and luster along with proper focus to view the details and strike of the coin. Although this coin appears to be blast white, it infact has a wonderful pearl patina that can really only be appreciated when shown next to other untoned Barber Quarters.



The Barber coinage often gets the short end of the stick from collectors. I find the design simple and beautiful. The obverse portrait has classic roman influences and is very appealing in all states of preservation. The reverse eagle design is one of my absolute favorites. I personally would rank only the SLQ and Walking Liberty half reverse designs as more eye appealing.

I am very proud of this photo because of the self inflicted degree of difficulty during the imaging process. I have been tempted since August to remove the coin from the holder just to see if I can take a better photo with the coin outside the plastic. I will let the CT members decide if it is necessary.

Lehigh96--Paul

 

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Paul - you take some awesome pictures. Thanks for sharing them with us. I tend to agree about the Barber series.....the design has been much criticized, but I may buy a quarter or half at FUN. I wonder what a common date toned proof in either denomination will run me?

 

Nice Nice - I also believe the Barbara to be an underated design. Barbera had a great sence of coinage and worried about details that other artists didn't have time for, such as how coins will wear over time in the wild.

I could have used some copyrighted animation, but otherwise it is wonderful.

Nice exhibit!

Ruben

 

Ruben - your posts always put a smile on my face! :smile

 

Very nice coin.

 

pictures are fine this way.

But--- that 1897 is great!!!!!

Love it.

 

Nice coins Levon!!!

 

"Levon, Levon likes his money
He makes a lot they say
Spends his days counting
In a garage by the motorway"

 

A pleasure to Oblige you good sir

 

Frantastic picture-snapping and related tips as usual Paul. I've got a Cannon PowerShot, also, and I think I take some pretty decent pics, but they're never anything like yours.

 

And Jesus, he wants to go to Venus.....


Leave the coin in its holder Paul. The photos are spectacular!

 

I think the quarter is the best version of the barber coinage.

 

Exhibit - Barber Quarter - 1916-D - August 2008 - Lehigh96 http://www.cointalk.com/forum/t45384/

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       Art     Edu    Nui    FS       TOT          GT
 	8 	8 	7 	0 	23 		99

	
	0 	0 	7 	0 	7 	
	

	
	10 	9 	6 	0 	25 	
	

	
	9 	7 	7 	0 	23 	
	

	
	6 	7 	8 	0 	21 	
	

 

Pics are great Paul , I'd leave it in the slab . And you're right the Barber Series is underrated , my wife bought me a beauty last year for my birthday of what she calls that pretty Greek looking coin .
rzage

 

Ruben what are all the little numbers ?:hail:
rzage

 

Wow, someone gave me a 7 on this exhibit. Must have been someone I offended at one time or another.

 

I don't think so. Remember that I couldn't get the original folks to vote, so two of my kids stepped in. (a 18 and 12 year old) And also, there were so many GREAT GREAT exhibits and suddenly your looking at your votes and they are all wrapped around 8 and 9! and you double back and try to spread them out. It was hard and it took about 30 minutes to vote, and if you looked at them all carefully, its a whole afternoon. And for me it was easier because I was already very familiar with all the exhibits.

Ruben

 

Each row was a different voter


http://www2.mrbrklyn.com/coins/contest.html

See the spread sheet

 

Great coin, Lehigh!

I think it deserves to be photographed in the raw! That, and I think you've honed your photographic skills to improve on the existing photographs -- and this coin deserves it!

Great coin & post...Mike (who would vote this thread 9 of 10 )

 

Oh sure - now everyone wants to vote :computer: