REIMAGE: Aethelred II Penny

Aethelred · March 11, 2007 11:08PM

I noticed while doing a little much needed website updating that the only image of my Aethelred II Penny that I had was made on a flatbed scanner several years ago. I brought the coin home and re-photographed it this weekend:

Aethelred II, AR Penny, Canterbury Mint, issued AD 997-1003, ICG AU-55, SPINK-1151

laurentyvan · March 11, 2007 11:26PM

Well gosh, the resemblance is startling!

Nice reimage...

MacCrimmon · March 11, 2007 11:50PM

And I thought these kids with the spiked hair were a recent phenom.......

AuldFartte · March 12, 2007 12:17AM

I love that coin !!!

Nice photos, Æthelred

lordmarcovan · March 12, 2007 7:11AM

I've gotten to fondle that one in person. More than once.

Once, when Michael wasn't in the room, I licked it. Just to see what history tastes like. Ssh!

Aethelred · March 12, 2007 9:03AM

<< Once, when Michael wasn't in the room, I licked it. Just to see what history tastes like. Ssh!

>>

Ewww !!!! I'll sell it for $5.

BS · March 12, 2007 9:20AM

Nice coin and photo.

ajaan · March 12, 2007 10:08AM

<< Ewww !!!! I'll sell it for $5 >>

I'll take it.

1960NYGiants · March 12, 2007 12:48PM

<< Well gosh, the resemblance is startling!

Nice reimage... >>

Makarovii · March 13, 2007 12:08AM

<< And I thought these kids with the spiked hair were a recent phenom.......

>>

I think it looks like a Mohawk!

lordmarcovan · March 13, 2007 10:22AM

BTW, I licked that coin before it was entombed in plastic.

(Seriously, though, it WAS raw when I last held it.)

lordmarcovan · July 22, 2013 12:46PM

I can lick it all I want now, because it is MINE, now. All mine!

Bwahahaha!

My preciousssss!

Edit to add:

This coin is due for ANOTHER reimaging, because, sorry, Michael- the pix above, while adequate, do not do it any justice at all. They do not capture any of the iridescent bluish/sea green tones.

Aethelred · July 23, 2013 8:20AM

<< I can lick it all I want now, because it is MINE, now. All mine!

Bwahahaha!

My preciousssss!

Edit to add:

This coin is due for ANOTHER reimaging, because, sorry, Michael- the pix above, while adequate, do not do it any justice at all. They do not capture any of the iridescent bluish/sea green tones. >>

That was two cameras and many moons ago.

Not saying im any better as a photographer, just saying...

Stork · July 23, 2013 9:55PM

Well, LordM, you can lick that slab all you want now, but aren't you regretting that slobber you put on it before it was slabbed???

Seriously, a cool coin.

Cathy

nicholasz219 · July 24, 2013 12:44AM

Aethelred,

Super nice penny. I have zero hope of purchasing something that nice in the near future, so I will live vicariously through you. (I will NOT live vicariously through Lord Marcovan because I do not lick metal. Gives me the heebie jeebies.) I have been stuck on my English medieval penny collection for a few months now. This sort of post only reinforces my desire to add to my penny collection. I was able to pick up two older reference books on the (relatively) cheap which was a minor victory of sorts but its frustrating to see so many coins start on the Bay for .99L and then race to 50.00L by the time the auctions close. I was warned how tough working on a ruler set would be but as usual, I was overly optimistic. Now I am bitter and must hope to find a dealer in US coinage that doesn't like to research foreign "junk." It's like I'm fourteen again, lol.

lordmarcovan · July 24, 2013 2:17AM

OK, so here we go...

(Update, to add SE1795's aggregate)

Michael/Aethelred's original photos:

Lordmarcovan's scans:

SmallEagle1795's aggregate of the two images above:

SE1795's image, with Photoshop "shadowbox" template:

ICG label added, and tweaked to fit Lordmarcovan's standard 800x500 format:

LochNESS · July 24, 2013 3:10AM

Wow, what a difference. A fine example of a valuable lesson which we often forget ... that buying a coin based on photos is living on the edge ...

lordmarcovan · July 24, 2013 3:25AM

<< Wow, what a difference. A fine example of a valuable lesson which we often forget ... that buying a coin based on photos is living on the edge ... >>

Indeed. But of course I admired this one in person every time I visited Michael over the last 19 years, so finally owning it is a treat.

SmEagle1795 · July 24, 2013 3:55AM

Disclaimer: I've never seen this coin in-hand. Here's a stab at finding what it may actually look like, after some Photoshop magic and manipulating the aggregate of both of the images posted:

lordmarcovan · July 24, 2013 4:08AM

He, SE1795, that's pretty darn good! It doesn't capture the golds quite sufficiently, and it gives the coin a bit more of an overall olive-green coloration than I see under this (flourescent) light at my desk, but it may be closer to the truth than either my scans or Michael's photos.

(Actually, I suppose "the truth" in a photo is a somewhat malleable thing, considering all the lighting variables.)

I played around in a couple of programs but my software and skills were not as up to the task as yours, obviously. I appreciate it. That will serve until I get it TrueViewed, and then we'll have one of the most-reimaged coins on the forums. Haha.

If it is OK with you, I'll grab your aggregate version, clean up the circle crop around the edges (since the coin, like most ancient and medieval pieces, is not quite perfectly round) and paste it into the frame with the ICG label. That should be the version I'll use until the PCGS and TrueView submission/reimaging happens. Thanks!

SmEagle1795 · July 24, 2013 4:16AM

<< He, SE1795, that's pretty darn good! It doesn't capture the golds quite sufficiently, and it gives the coin a bit more of an overall olive-green coloration than I see under this (flourescent) light at my desk, but it may be closer to the truth than either my scans or Michael's photos.

(Actually, I suppose "the truth" in a photo is a somewhat malleable thing, considering all the lighting variables.)

I played around in a couple of programs but my software and skills were not as up to the task as yours, obviously. I appreciate it. That will serve until I get it TrueViewed, and then we'll have one of the most-reimaged coins on the forums. Haha.

If it is OK with you, I'll grab your aggregate version, clean up the circle crop around the edges (since the coin, like most ancient and medieval pieces, is not quite perfectly round) and paste it into the frame with the ICG label. That should be the version I'll use until the PCGS and TrueView submission/reimaging happens. Thanks! >>

Sounds good! Lighting variables are indeed a nightmare. I've begun the process of re-shooting my coins in daylight which has so far shown to be the best from what I've seen. It's a pain as it can be inconsistent but it makes the colors "pop" very well.

LochNESS · July 24, 2013 4:35AM

<< 

<< Wow, what a difference. A fine example of a valuable lesson which we often forget ... that buying a coin based on photos is living on the edge ... >>

Indeed. But of course I admired this one in person every time I visited Michael over the last 19 years, so finally owning it is a treat. >>

Yes of course, in this case it was a great thing. I was speaking to the many collectors who throw small fortunes at unknown online sellers (often in China) only to be disappointed at mail time.

lordmarcovan · July 24, 2013 4:39AM

OK, I went in with a pen tool and meticulously "de-rounded" some of SE1795's circle crop in the aggregate image. Hope it didn't make the edges look TOO jagged or choppy.

Added it to the post above, so now we have three pictures for comparison. Anybody have one of those Photoshop "shadowbox" templates?

SmEagle1795 · July 24, 2013 4:47AM

<< OK, I went in with a pen tool and meticulously "de-rounded" some of SE1795's circle crop in the aggregate image. Hope it didn't make the edges look TOO jagged or choppy.

Added it to the post above, so now we have three pictures for comparison. Anybody have one of those Photoshop "shadowbox" templates? >>

Here's a quick shadow using the template I've taken for most of mine:

lordmarcovan · July 24, 2013 4:54AM

Wow, that looks great. Thanks.

I would probably have to shrink it down to fit my standard 800x500 format for my galleries, though, and if I stick the label at the top of the image it becomes even taller. I'll play with it, though. Added your "shadowbox" to the array above.

After TrueView comes in, I'll probably add that and link to this thread from my final collection thread, or when there is discussion about image variability.

lordmarcovan · July 24, 2013 5:01AM

Ta-dahh!

Thanks for your help, SE1795, and for everyone else's input.

We have here a very serviceable image that I believe is 90-95% accurate, and with which I am quite pleased.

As of this post it remains to be seen how well TrueView will stack up to this aggregate image.

Phil or the folks at PCGS will have the advantage of imaging the coin raw again.

I believe Michael's 2007 reimage in the OP was done after he slabbed it at ICG.

ajaan · July 24, 2013 9:54AM

I still love that coin.

LochNESS · July 24, 2013 6:56PM

<< I still love that coin. >>

lordmarcovan · June 30, 2014 6:03PM

Reimaged yet again, this time by Phil Arnold. I'd say the TrueView nailed it pretty well.

(And the new grade is cause for celebration. Michael and I always thought this was a Mint State coin.)