Since I got a new scanner tonight, I figured I'd start scanning in some notes. To start off, here's the 1899 "black eagle" $1 silver cert. that I posted about in this thread a few weeks ago: http://www.cointalk.com/t114822/. The scan definitely looks better than the camera pic.
Very nice! Looks like the scanner is working. For scientific purposes, you may want to scan a current US banknote, and if it does scan, you should let everyone know the brand of scanner and what software you're scanning with. Dave
Dave: I'll give that a try. Oddly enough I have no current banknotes at the moment, but I'll try it in a day or two. Here's my 1896 educational series $1 SC. Not the best condition, but I'm happy to have one at all.
Congrats on the new equipment! Just a suggestion, I think you will achieve even better results on your raw notes if you scan them without the sleeves. The bottom left corner of the face of the black eagle $1 didn't quite scan sharply enough-- looks blurry / soft focus. Also make sure to give the margins plenty of room with a dark color sheet behind them to help define the edge of the notes. Some people actually tape a sheet of black paper to the lid of the scanner so you don't have to handle the paper and can eliminate the bright white most scanner lids come equipped with. Can't wait to see all your new scans. :thumb:
krispy: Thanks for the suggestions. I was sticking the dark paper on top, but it would work much easier taped to the lid, I keep moving the note out of alignment when putting the paper on. The black eagle I did with the lid open, so it may not have been pressed to the scanner glass all the way. I noticed it on the educational series note and rescanned it with the lid closed, which made a noticeable difference. Might go back and redo the black eagle with the lid shut. I hate taking them out of their sleeves too much, but I might give that a try too. Last one for tonight, a $10 FRN, Fr. 911C.
The other possibility on the black eagle is that the note wasn't sitting flat on the scanner bed. It will certainly be out of focus if it's raised up even a bit. Personally I don't take my notes out of their holders to scan them... once in a holder I never want to move them again if at all possible Dave edit: you beat me to the punch
I keep thinknig about scanning some of my nicer notes, but then always forget since I normally look at the forum during my lunch break at work. Great notes and I wish I had an educational one to show off, no matter what the condition was!
Thanks for the nice comments everyone. I rescanned the black eagle, it's a little more centered and I think I got the slightly blurry edge taken care of. Also redid the back of the educational note, it was a little off centered too. Here's another one, a 1917 $1 United States Note/Legal tender.
And a $5 FRN. This one is a bit more damaged... the front looks circulated but okay; but on the back you can see a group of obvious pinholes as well as an old stamp, presumably from a bank. (Though really as a former bank teller I find the old bank stamp kind of cool too.) I'd like to get a better example of the $5, I like the vignettes on the back of Columbus and the pilgrims.
