Cracks that are thick are referred to as breaks, and they would be listed in VAM. Also, "radial" cracks that go straight in from the rim are...
Short answer: The "shape" of the toning. Lacquer pools up in crevices of the coin differently from how toning does. Longer attempt at an...
I knew exactly what these were, so I called them "die wear." I've never hear the term "radials" used before other than tires. "Spiral flow...
I know Bill, and we chat a bit when I see him at shows. He's aware of this transition and is fully on board with it.
This is a copy of a press release sent out by Michael Fey. I recently posted it on VAMWorld and sent it out to SSDC members, but it may be of...
What I refer to as the "Baked Liberty" design.
No contest. It was a pity Joseph Wright, the engraver, died in 1793 from the Yellow Fever epidemic in Philadelphia and was never able to drive the...
Don't use auto white balance with coins that aren't white. On whatever device you have, calibrate the white balance to something neutral (gray...
Watch this video. It's 10 years old, but is geared toward your desire to make half-way decent pictures and not spend much money. You can ignore...
According to the report, "chatrooms are garbage." So why create a new one when and open yourself up to the headache of banning "no [sic]...
There are precious few 1921-D VAMs that are worth a premium. They have to be dramatic, naked-eye varieties with really big die breaks to get the...
Correct. They were never hardened, never used, then disposed of after being cancelled.
Two whacks with a cold chisel and a hammer across the die face. The X is deep in the die, and the result is that it doesn't strike out the...
At the ANA show, a friend of mine managed to find and buy an original set of cancelled CC Morgan dollar dies. He later arranged to go to Dan...
Now taking orders for my 2022 coin calendar. Printing and postage costs went way up this year, unfortunately, so the price is now $20 (includes...
This thing all things devours: Birds, beasts, trees, flowers; Gnaws iron, bites steel; Grinds hard stones to meal; Slays king, ruins town, And...
I'm not all that crazy about GC's images, but they are consistent, which is important. If you look at enough of them, you can learn how to read...
The coin pictured above has machine doubling, not a doubled die. The 1927 VAM 2 DDO has doubling that's most easily seen on the designer's...
Yes. I have a 1479 as well, but this one is nicer.
I took a photo of this painting when I was at the Getty Museum last week, mostly to share with coin folk. Quentin Massys (or Metsys or Matsys)...
Separate names with a comma.
