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@Paulus I am very sorry that I did not see this topic until just now. I have no idea how I missed it, but I only poke my head in every once in a while in the summer months, and I see it was posted in July. Nonetheless, I will post a bit below on my methods. Firstly, let me just say that your pictures have improved a great deal Paulus. You're capturing luster very well in your more recent images, and the focus is also much sharper. I feel a lot of people pay too much attention to the bells and whistles on fancy cameras or purchase really expensive lenses hoping that having the right (i.e., expensive) equipment will somehow make you a better photographer. For coin photography, the most important pieces are often the very inexpensive ones of the equation. Lighting is immensely important - I'd say the most important ingredient for taking good coin images. The type of light bulb (LED, incandescent, fluorescent) you use is less important, but understanding how to use that light source is key. For example, being able to set a custom white balance in your camera for your particular lights is key to getting realistic colors. The size of the light source (small bulb vs. large bulb) or the apparent size of the light source (e.g., a small light source diffused acts like a larger light source) is also important for fully lighting the coin's surface. The angle of the lights changes the appearance of the coin's surfaces a lot -- and your lights should always be placed above your mounted camera lens, if not even higher. With regard to lighting (in particularly angle), I wrote up a little article on the NGC forums some 3+ years ago, and I think it may be helpful. Keep your lights at a high angle to the surface on which the coin is placed, and diffuse them enough or use large enough light point surfaces to avoid hot spots on the coin. See my little schematic below of what my photography rig looks like. Second to lighting, I would say that mounting your camera on a solid copy stand or tripod is very important. Images taken with a hand held camera will be a bit "shaky" or lacking in detail. I have seen hand-held images of coins that get the message across, but the ability to zoom in and see details or inspect surfaces is very limited. Not only is mounting your camera on a sturdy surface important, but it is also important that your camera is aligned to the flat surface of the coin properly. By that I mean, the camera's detector (a small rectangular flat surface at the back of the lens where the image is focused) needs to be perfectly parallel with the coin's surface (i.e., in parallel planes). This is important for focusing reasons. The easiest way to make sure your camera is mounted parallel with the surface on which the coin is placed is to use a little mirror. Place the mirror where you would place the coin, and adjust your camera in the x, y, and z planes as needed until the center of your lens' reflection is perfectly centered in the camera's viewfinder. See the little schematic I created below. Lastly, practice, practice, and practice some more. I have now taken somewhere around 20,000 images of coins over the past 7 years. I have only been happy with my images for the past 4.5 years. It takes a while to get up to "happy" quality -- and I'm still improving my images and tweaking things today. I try to take at least some coin photos 2-3 days of every week. It just keeps me in the "zone". I hope some of these hints help a little. Best, Brandon

Thanks for you comments and set-up description @brg5658, I must admit that the thread title 'Coin Pics' does not make it obvious that the topic is coin photography! I have found that I have had my best results with daylight LED lamps, but maybe that's simply because it involves less knowledge of, and fiddling with, white balance settings ... This is a topic which I believe matters a great deal

If you are happy to get them from circulation, go to the bank and withdraw £60 or so and ask for it in £1 coins. If they aren't in there, bank it the next day and withdraw the same £60 next week. A little perseverance should pay off and you get your set for the grand sum of £4. Ian..

I have I think incrementally improved my photo set-up now with the addition of a second LED daylight lamp. The 2 are positioned at roughly 2 o/c and 9 o/c with the camera lens pointing directly above but the tripod at 6 o/c. I retain my belief that great pics are crucial in distance buying and selling transactions, and that more attention needs to be paid to the quality of the pics on offer by sellers, dealers, and auction houses.. Would you prefer the pics at the top (previous best set-up, with 1 LED DAYLIGHT lamp), or those below (new set-up), if you were considering acquiring this coin?,

Wow, very nice coins. I sure like that last '16 HC that is so very deeply struck. Keep posting here, the other post is a bit unwieldy.

Does this help clarify!?

Unfortunately Guy has been again Another few including a 1861 F29 that i like.

A couple a upgrades this week although I am still struggling with 1914 Halfcrowns.

£8 on eBay. Not sure I'll actually find a better one, definitely not for that price.

I was in the British Museum recently and took some photos of the Gothic Crown dies. They are on loan to the BM from the Royal Mint Museum. (There is a hairline crack at 10 o'clock on the obverse die.)

Another one i got from Guy .....The Coinery Glad i didnt buy a lower grade one as another to keep. 1865/3 and thanks to a couple of forum members for confirming the variety. Pete.

What sort of price are you looking to pay. Doing a quick search I found this for £45 from Penny Crown Coins, who is a great guy that I would highly recommend.

Can I just say a massive thanks Steve for your web page. It was the first page I found online prior to coming to the forum and gave me a lot of inspiration. Your site and Richards as well as other members of this forum are resources which I have used time and time again. I am sure there are many other members and non members who have been awed over the years by these fantastic online pages and that many have gone on to embrace the joy of this brilliant and very addictive hobby. Thanks Guys