Sulla8 Akragas AE cast 'tooth' trias... I’m not sure if it is the “coin” that I like or just the great photo - either way - wow! I'm moving this from the game thread because it has been a while since these have been discussed here. I like them and, I believe, they were represented in the X6 collection but I don't recall how many other people liked them. The photo that got the Sulla8 post: The answer is neither but both are as good as I can do. The coins are not easy to photograph if clear and next to impossible if only of average 'grade'. The Akragas cast 'teeth' from mid 5th century BC are at least unusual with or without details. Unfortunately the vast majority of the ones you see are low grade and not clear on one side or the other. We see them sold with little or no detail. The crab is harder to find nice than the eagle. The denomination dots are usually more clear and follow the standard 1/12 unit per dot system so 4 dots is 4/12 or 1/3 of the unit and we call them 'trias'. I also have a bit more scarce two dot hexas (below) but by far the most common are the trias. CNG has sold quite a number of trias both better and worse than mine AND they have the denominations I lack. More unusual are the three dot tetras (1/4) (beware of poorly detailed trias that are missing a dot) Very different are the 1/12 onkias which are capsule or lozenge shaped with eagle head and crab claw but no dot. https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=206181 This is on my want list. I have passed up many for being what I considered overpriced but being only two sided makes them more likely to be found clear on both animals. The example above is particularly clear. A trias with this clarity would be pricey. They are early as bronze coins go and show that all coins do not have to have the standard disk shape. There are other AE cast shapes from other places. We all know the Thracian dolphins and leaves (or arrow points, depending on who you ask) but the dot denominations here prove the Akragas issues were coins and not just metal to be traded by weight. I believe one belongs in any collection of archaic Greek coins. Who else has these or has any interest in them?
I am on my phone so can't link, I was lucky enough to pick up a trias, ex stevex6. It is on tantaluscoins under my username if anyone wants looksee.
I wonder if the new iPhones with three lenses will capture different depths and automatically focus. If so it would be great for coin photography.
I don't have any candy corn coins to share but had to say that your images are fantastic! Those must have been tough to capture.
As I see it, the new Apple lenses are three different focal lengths so you can make wide, normal and telephoto shots without resorting to digital zoom which always reduces quality a lot. The lenses are arranged in a triangle rather than side by side spaced like your eyes (one right and one left) as would be needed for stereo photographs. A friend who takes insect photos has a point and shoot that will take several shots in vert close time with each focused differently and then produces a focus stacked result as well as the series which you can edit and run through a focus stack program as the rest of us can. I would love that feature on a full frame dSLR but have no interest in these minute sensor size cameras (including phones) unless shooting something where portability is more important than quality. If I were going to buy a camera toy, it would be one of those units that will take hundreds of shots of one subject and spit out a file that can be printed on a 3D printer. Quite a few museums are publishing free .stl files of their best statues. For example, this Apollo is from the Louvre. https://www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-apollo-sauroctonus-at-the-louvre-paris-17662 Unfortunately, the printer to which I have access is limited to things about 8" high so full length statues are less than impressive. I tried the BM file for the Rosetta stone but when the size is reduced, the lettering became illegible. It does better for heads but I have not been shooting the ones I printed. Being able to make my own files would enable a self portrait head in 'marble' look plastic. Sorry about the dragons that jumped in front of SS and JD. Reshoot time.
I love those pictures of your Akragas teeth as well! I sold what I thought was a decent one of these in the first AMCC auction, and also thought that @Severus Alexander's pictures of it were excellent. I kept a poorer one for myself and not surprisingly did less well with the pics.
Here's the photo of the one Z sold: My photo isn't nearly as good as Doug's (too bright on top for one thing). I didn't use focus stacking (I haven't yet taken the time to figure that out), just a small aperture. Not small enough, apparently. I am very interested in these as part of the story of the transition from precious metal coinage to token base metal coinage. Don't have one yet, though...
