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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 7748571, member: 19463&quot;]This post brings us to the verge of &#039;forensic numismatics&#039;.&nbsp; I love technical numismatics or all kinds (except, possibly, cleaning) because it allows me to take photos that are not just passport/drivers license grade. Being around for a couple millennia and being subjected to scientist/collector abuse for a couple centuries has made for some interesting things on our coins if we look closely enough.&nbsp; In this case, right or wrong, I tend to blame a waxy material applied to make the coin look better but using the theory that if a &#039;dab&#039; would &#039;do&#039; a ton would do better.&nbsp; The obvious culprit here is RenWax which really is a thing commonly overdone but it could as well be Johnson&#039;s floor wax.&nbsp; Nose Grease was a common material film era photo lab techs applied to negatives with minor base scratches and works on coins in some cases.&nbsp; Earwax?&nbsp; I had not thought of that one.<img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie14" alt=":angelic:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />&nbsp; Baking soda used to polish the coin to a glitter?&nbsp; Possible.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>kirispupis, since you already have a lot of camera gear and the inclination to use it on coins, I would suggest you get a stereoscopic microscope with the added capability of adapting a camera via a third eye-tube.&nbsp; Mine does not have this camera port so I just use a stack of about 100mm worth of extension tubes on a 100mm lens.&nbsp; While the coin looks clean in a &#039;normal&#039; photo, this 1 1/2 assaria of Philip II from Tomis shows waxy flakes (possibly skin cells) and salts adhered by grime.&nbsp; There are several pieces of red flocking that came from trays that once housed my collection and just plain old dust.&nbsp; Cleaning a coin well enough to take a photo at this scale (these are two full frame shots combined and reduced to fit here) is no easy task.&nbsp; The stereo microscope&nbsp; would help but it is easier to use a spot healing brush in postprocessing.&nbsp; This sample has not been &#039;decluttered&#039; yet but is about as clean as I usually get a coin before shooting.&nbsp; I started working on a set of what I considered to be interesting coins with centration dimples (there are several varieties of these which I find fascinating).&nbsp; Whether I will follow through that to completion remains to be seen.&nbsp; </p><p>[ATTACH=full]1326632[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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