Discovery - Ancients and Photography

I agree the reverse is a little out of focus. I have that problem sometimes even when I take a picture on a 2-second delay. But my set up is almost laughably amateurish. I just take multiple shots and at least one or a couple will be good.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

My set up is the definition of amateur. I'm using a chair to clip a lamp onto, with a flattened cardboard box to place a CD holder on, with a tube of cardboard to create a shadow. I placed the camera on a tripod for stability.

 

Well, you're a chair, a lamp, a CD holder and a tube of cardboard ahead of me. I only recently dug up an old tripod, and before that was using my belly to keep my hands steady.

 

Here's my first crack at silver.


Seller's photo:


Neither one really captures the brightness of this coin very well.

 

Haha! Ya, I guess I am living it big time!

 

Sorry guys and gals...this one isn't an Ancient but I was fairly pleased with the results.



This is my other collecting passion and I want all of my tokens to be imaged in such a way. I think if I used two light sources I could have avoided the reflection at the top.

 

Here's Trajan again...think I'm happy with this one for now. Going to work on my first fourteen ancients I ever bought.

 

Nice work! The pic of the Vespasian really does the coin justice, and the T. Decius shows the attractive colors of the patina.

 

Thanks John!

 

I think you have surpassed my photography quality by a lot. Very good.

 

I don't know about all that! Thank you for the compliment though!!

 

you've become a pro coin photographer in under a month! those new pics are rockin' jwt.

 

You're too kind @chrsmat71 !

Ok, so these are the first 14 ancients I ever bought and have been a reocurring theme in this thread because 12 of them were bought sight unseen and the other two at a bazaar held here at RAF Mildenhall and one held on RAF Lakenheath so no photos from the seller were available. I'm fairly pleased with these pictures and I think they've finally been given the photographic attention they deserve. The first 12 I think I got a great deal on them and when I average the cost for the lot...ya...I did good.

None of the photos have been enhanced or edited beyond combining the obverse and reverse together and cropping away the excess.

The above was probably the most challenging of the lot and may deserve a reshoot.


Love the colors on this one.

Is this what is called a "crowded flan?"



Next seven below...

 

This one was hard to get a good shot of and I blame the coin.

 

The Claudius, Diocletian and Maximianus are my favorites.

 

The Diocletian and Maximianus I'm sure I overpaid for. The seller was at this bazaar - the kind of thing where people set up booths to sell trinkets and cheese. Out of all those booths there was a man selling coins, currency, and some supplies. Everything he had was overpriced but he was there. Apperently like 17 years ago his son was stationed out here and they did this bazaar and he came out and sold some coins there and has been coming back twice a year ever since. I had to buy something. I was comfortable overpaying - I liked the coins (even though I knew nothing about them) and I wanted to support him coming out and selling. And nothing was that overpriced, like high retail.

 

Yeah, I think we all like to support local dealers as long as they are not trying to gouge the buyer. It's been said here many times, but if you are happy with the purchase then what does overpriced really mean?

 

Ya - that's the way I feel about it too. He's trying to bring coins to collectors stationed over here and I'm sure it costs him a bunch to get out here twice a year. He will also actively pursue want lists for us. He gave me free supplies with my purchases so I was satisfied with the purchase. When he comes back in October, I'll buy something from him again. If nothing else, an American Silver Eagle or two and some supplies. If he has some new ancients, even better!

 

Follow up question: Did you like those coins the most or those pictures the most?

 

Both. But your all images look great.