I won this at an auction, but I probably over paid. It is a half cent from1828. They say you have to have at least one of these.
We've all overpaid at some point. I never remember the price later, but I still kick myself for some of the coins I passed up because I thought they were too expensive.
Nice pickup. For future posts, please read my suggestions below. For the best results, you should post "in focus," FULL IMAGE photos (after you upload your photo, two buttons appear: Thumbnail and Full Image, click Full Image and your photo appears full size on your post and are easily enlarged by clicking on it). Photograph coins on neutral backgrounds like black, grey, or white. Crop out superfluous background so just the coin shows (you can use https://www.remove.bg for free), and post photos with correct orientation so members don't have to turn their computer in some awkward fashion to view it properly. While it isn’t always necessary, it is nice to show both the obverse and reverse, even if your question is just about one side. Members can often give more valuable information having both sides to evaluate. Add close ups of areas you have questions about and make your questions as definitive as possible so we know what you are asking for. And try to have the best lighting possible to show the most favorable photo of the coin. Hope this helps in the future. Good luck.
Is it okay to use smartphone cameras? I can crop them, but I don't think I have a zoom. I can pick a black background.
Smartphones can take perfectly adequate photos for our purposes here if you follow some basic rules: 1) Make sure you have adequate lighting. Sometimes just the daylight on the windowsill is enough. Check your photo, though. If you can't see what you're trying to show due to inadequate light, then how can you expect us to see it? 2) If it's in a carboard 2x2 or a mylar flip, remove it to photograph it. 3) Place your smartphone on an improvised stand of some sort. A bunch of books works fine and add a weight on the phone to keep it stable. 4) If you're using autofocus and the coin is in a slab, make sure the camera is focusing on the coin and not the surface of the slab. 5) Use the delayed shutter control function on your smartphone camera function. This will ensure that the photo doesn't suffer from "hand jitter". 6) Don't get too close to the coin. Most phones don't really have a "macro function" built into them and if you get too close the photo will suffer with its focus. Experiment with trying to fill the available space but not make the focus suffer. An out-of-focus photo is useless! 7) Previous comments regarding backgrounds and cropping apply. 8) Don't post a thumbnail! Full image, please. If you request our help, then make it easy for us to help you.
Yes, perfectly fine. Cropping a photo is desired as it gets rid of the background and makes the coin easier to see. I really can’t comment on your coin as I can’t see it clearly. Welcome to CT.
