The Mountain God (ANA Newp & video experiment)

PCGSPhoto

In June I saw a very unusual medal at the Long Beach show, a Napoleonic medal struck in 1805 for the Mont Blanc mining school. These Napoleonic medals come in a variety of different commemorative designs, and are surprisingly affordable. It was still available from the dealer at the ANA so I picked it up. Yeah, it has some carbon spots, but I just really liked it.

One other reason I purchased it was because it looked like an ideal item to play with for an experiment - video. Video of coins has its place, it's great to see more than one aspect of a coin. But I've not seen it done particularly well. Often times the motion is jerky, or it looks hokey, or someone moves the coin by hand (take care of your fingernails, people). This is a bit of a different approach.

I I uploaded this in 4K, not that I have a 4K TV to watch it, but it did look pretty good when I ChromeCasted it to my standard HDTV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSKYM_bTjOM

As I said, it's an experiment. Question is, would there be any demand for such video?

While you ponder that, here's some regular old photos.

Rexford

Very cool!

SYRACUSIAN

I see an interesting but limited use of the video. A cool zoom out from a small scene to the entire reverse, as well as different lights on the medal, but the third side isn't present, nor is the clock ward movement that gives us a sense of the luster and overall eye appeal. I echo the sentiments about the clumsy ways most early coin videos are done, but there has to be a way to show more information of a coin/medal that is later neatly edited and presented.

Edited to add: the medal is really awsome!

pmac

I thought your changing light also gave an interesting perspective to the medal.

PCGSPhoto

Good points, Dimitri. I also wanted to include the other side of the coin/medal (I think I know how to pull it off), and show a more fluid motion to show cartwheel luster (although there's none for this medal), but that may require purchasing some addition equipment.

Do you think there's be a market for this? This absolutely would be more expensive than a standard TrueView, so this would definitely need to be worth a customer's while.

Rexford

@PCGSPhoto said:
Good points, Dimitri. I also wanted to include the other side of the coin/medal (I think I know how to pull it off), and show a more fluid motion to show cartwheel luster (although there's none for this medal), but that may require purchasing some addition equipment.

Do you think there's be a market for this? This absolutely would be more expensive than a standard TrueView, so this would definitely need to be worth a customer's while.

I think there would be a market for this, and that people would be willing to pay extra for such a service: https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/968809/hey-pcgs-photo-how-about-a-new-service-truvideo. I find that there are many coins/medals that have certain aspects of color/luster/cameo that may not be able to be fully displayed in photo format, and I like your approach in this video much better compared to other examples I have seen. Looking forward to seeing how you will handle luster if you decide to try it.

I guess the question is, how would it be decided which parts of the coin/medal to zoom in and out from? Another possibility is to have the obverse and reverse side by side like with a Trueview and have the lighting/angle change simultaneously for both sides.

TwoKopeiki

It's a neat idea and currently an un-filled niche, but I think the right approach is to go cheap and cheerful vs expensive high quality. Like converting a short video into an animated .gif of each side rotating to show the surfaces and luster. Something like that would appeal to a lot of the eBay / auction sellers.

Expensive "glamour" video is cool, but very limited use.

Just my 2 kopeiki

TomB

I think it's fabulous. My opinion is that if you broke the coin down to "segments" then you could rotate it in a circular motion on a dais while filming the edge and then keep the camera stationary over the obverse or reverse while rotating the coin in and out of the plane with the center of the coin always in the plane. This would capture the typical examination of a coin in-hand when raw. Then, further segments could utilize light movement and greater magnification.

If this were available for already certified coins that might live in older holders, without the edge view of course, then I could see a much greater pool of eligible coins and would even think of submitting coins, as well. Lastly, if you want to experiment with some cool world coins let me know and I would be happy to ship out some neat things to you to capture toning, details, strike and the rest.

asheland

I like that video idea. Very cool!
Nice medal, too.

ShadyDave

@Rexford said:

@PCGSPhoto said:
Good points, Dimitri. I also wanted to include the other side of the coin/medal (I think I know how to pull it off), and show a more fluid motion to show cartwheel luster (although there's none for this medal), but that may require purchasing some addition equipment.

Do you think there's be a market for this? This absolutely would be more expensive than a standard TrueView, so this would definitely need to be worth a customer's while.

I think there would be a market for this, and that people would be willing to pay extra for such a service: https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/968809/hey-pcgs-photo-how-about-a-new-service-truvideo. I find that there are many coins/medals that have certain aspects of color/luster/cameo that may not be able to be fully displayed in photo format, and I like your approach in this video much better compared to other examples I have seen. Looking forward to seeing how you will handle luster if you decide to try it.

I guess the question is, how would it be decided which parts of the coin/medal to zoom in and out from? Another possibility is to have the obverse and reverse side by side like with a Trueview and have the lighting/angle change simultaneously for both sides.

I agree. I think higher end world coin (and definitely US too) collectors would like this when selling a more expensive coin or showing a newp off.

SYRACUSIAN

I believe that the decision for a coin video service and its price is the job of PCGS' marketing department. Looking back at 2005, when TrueView was introduced, not every collector was willing to pay the added fees for a high quality photo, at a time when there were very few good coin photographers around. To me though, it was a service of great value for many reasons: I was getting a great digital picture for every new purchase that I was submitting to PCGS, that I was adding to a slowly growing digital imaging database, and a great tool to sell the coin if I wished, while still keeping the right to the digital image, a great help to combat seller's remorse.

More than a decade later, high quality images have become the norm, with coin photographers working overtime at shows and demanding buyers who won't give a second chance to a poorly imaged coin. Smartphones have also made it possible for the majority of collectors to do it themselves.

It wouldn't surprise me if coin videos enjoy a similar growth in the coming years. Heritage is already using them for their highest priced items and PCGS can increase the demand by providing a service that is currently offered by no one else. I wouldn't go as far as speculate about the price, but it is my gut feeling that if such a service is offered, it will be high quality, innovative and not cheap.

Zoins

Cool medal and amazing video!

While HA has videos, theirs are more utilitarian while this one is very artistic.

Glad you're experimenting with this and posting it here. I'd love to see more.

PCGSPhoto

I've been continuing to do some video tests, and we've been sharing results in this thread on the US Forum:

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/987072/pcgs-is-looking-for-opinions-on-videoview

To keep this thread Darkside-Related, here's an example of what I've been working on...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2uR_8zF9xk

RMW

Love the medal. Love the concept too. You can see a lot more of what you need to see than a photo.
The photography at a lot of auction houses and dealers needs improvement, let alone this.