A RussView™ 1869 Indian Head Cent.

Russ · September 13, 2006 6:05AM

Two sets if images.

Feel free to assign a grade if you'd like.

Russ, NCNE

Bunker · September 13, 2006 6:07AM

Sweet!

Are those yours Russ?

RBinTex · September 13, 2006 6:07AM

Top 64RB. Bottom set - 65RB (I know same coin - I assume - but bot. pics look a bit nicer).

robertpr · September 13, 2006 6:08AM

The second set is overexposed. Both sets of images are oversharpened.

And of course you know, as one of the best photographers here, I'm being much more critical of your images than I would be of others.

Russ · September 13, 2006 6:11AM

<< The second set is overexposed. >>

Not over exposed. Shot at an angle to show the mirrors.

Russ, NCNE

mgoodm3 · September 13, 2006 6:12AM

64RB

Connecticoin · September 13, 2006 6:16AM

PF 63RB

GaCoinGuy · September 13, 2006 6:28AM

Mirrors? Izdat a proof Injun?

In dat case, 63RB strike is light in spots on the reverse, and something looks odd about the E in ONE and T in CENT.

Would make a wonderful addition to my birth year-100 set I am thinking of building.

MrKelso · September 13, 2006 6:30AM

If one wanted to purchase such a coin as this, what would one have to pay in order to do such,thusly,and therefore?

Shamika · September 13, 2006 6:30AM

The first image gives the coin an almost cameo appearance.

TorinoCobra71 · September 13, 2006 6:32AM

<< 

<< The second set is overexposed. >>

Not over exposed. Shot at an angle to show the mirrors.

Russ, NCNE >>

I have always found that Copper is the most difficult coin to image. But Russ sure does a bang up job!

TorinoCobra71

DMWJR · September 13, 2006 6:37AM

64BN

Nice images in the first set.

cheezhed · September 13, 2006 6:53AM

No grade to assign but just enjoying the excellent photos.

Leiana · September 13, 2006 7:05AM

Cool!

-Amanda

millennium · September 13, 2006 7:23AM

Great pics as usual Russ...Copper is hard to capture, and you did a fantastic job.

relicsncoins · September 13, 2006 7:29AM

Based on the squared off rims and letters, I'm going to guess this is a proof. The color is difficult to gather from the photos, I will say PF-64BN or PF-64RB.

JJ

ss350camaro · September 13, 2006 7:41AM

i'm still amazed that you can get such nice pictures from a relatively cheap azz camera

Great shots as usual !

anablep · September 13, 2006 7:50AM

Sweet.

Are the images sharpened too much?

96eagle · September 13, 2006 8:10AM

There okay, it isn't like I got excited

MikeInFL · September 13, 2006 8:37AM

<< The second set is overexposed. Both sets of images are oversharpened.

And of course you know, as one of the best photographers here, I'm being much more critical of your images than I would be of others.

>>

on all counts...Mike

p.s. MS 65 RD is my WAG.

millennium · September 13, 2006 8:45AM

Russ....can you put a black background in it?......I bet it would look better.

Russ · September 13, 2006 8:55AM

<< Russ....can you put a black background in it?...... >>

The crappy software I have does a terrible job with that. It doesn't fill all the way to the coin edges and leaves little dots of white.

Russ, NCNE

ss350camaro · September 13, 2006 8:58AM

<< 

<< Russ....can you put a black background in it?...... >>

The crappy software I have does a terrible job with that. It doesn't fill all the way to the coin edges and leaves little dots of white.

Russ, NCNE >>

ss350camaro · September 13, 2006 9:01AM

ss350camaro · September 13, 2006 9:04AM

Leiana · September 13, 2006 9:15AM

Wait a minute, there is a special tool that will just get rid of the background?

And all along I have just been using my eraser, very carefully.

Anyone care to enlighten me as to how to do it please?

Thanks very much.

-Amanda

mgoodm3 · September 13, 2006 9:17AM

Helps to have an oval select function in the editor. You can select out the coin,either cut it out and paste it to a solid background or you can invert the selection which will grab everything but the coin after the coin was initially selected. Then you can fill in the new selection.

LucyBop · September 13, 2006 9:19AM

excellent images, I prefer the 2nd set...

Russ · September 13, 2006 9:23AM

<< Wait a minute, there is a special tool that will just get rid of the background? >>

The software I have calls it bucket fill.

Russ, NCNE

Leiana · September 13, 2006 9:24AM

Wow, thanks! I didn't know I could change the shape of my selection tool.

MUCH easier.

-Amanda

Leiana · September 13, 2006 9:27AM

<< 

<< Wait a minute, there is a special tool that will just get rid of the background? >>

The software I have calls it bucket fill.

Russ, NCNE >>

I have tried that with little success.

-Amanda

stev32k · September 13, 2006 9:31AM

Sorry, but those are not some of your better images. There is a lot digital noise from over processing, both images are over sharpened, and the second set is over exposed regardless of the angle.

The image does not really show if the diamonds on the ribbon are worn down or not struck very well - same for the hair below the bonnet. There is just not enough detail.

ANACONDA · September 13, 2006 9:40AM

Proof 63 brown

Catch22 · September 13, 2006 9:48AM

PF 64 BN. The small carbon spot near the date looks much less distracting in the second set of pics.

Whizzard · September 13, 2006 10:08AM

Very nice coins. I agree, the diamonds are a bit difficult to appreciate.

Fountainhead · September 13, 2006 10:49AM

Is this coin slabbed?

shylock · September 14, 2006 10:36AM

Russ - You can't post images that get this many responses without posting the grade.

These images don't look like your usual copper IH pics. Lots of digital noise, as Stev32k accurately noted.

Proofs are tough to image and this looks like one.
Big spot under the "8" of the date is this coin's major hallmark.

AmericanCopper · September 14, 2006 12:53PM

Looks like Russ overlooked this post...So I'll fill in the details. (I own the coin). I will copy what what I had posted in a Shylock thread about a month ago. I had Russ image it for me this week and I didn't know he was going to post it. Although the images Russ shoots are brutally honest in their detail and he often nails the actual color of coin the coin, I can say unequivocally the coin is a true, lusty proof-red hue no different than many of the red proofs I have owned. (I only have owed one proof Indianhead with color - I shun "knockout" toned coppers generally) Russ' images show the coin as Brown or Red/Brown, but it is really a true Red by anyones standards.

<< In the 1970's and early 1980's I discovered Indian cent proofs and was immediatly smitten with the clarity and definition of the strike and set out to purchase any and all I could get my hands on. After making a purchase of an 1869 proof that was not toned and had the most wonderful of mirrors in 1990, it was submitted to PCGS and was slabbed MS65 Red. In 2002, the slab was accidently damaged so I re-submitted the coin (this time to NGC to match the rest of my collection) and it was bodybagged as "AT". Mind you, there was no "monster toning" and the color was untampered with by me. In my search for an answer as to how the coin could apper so natural looking and still be considered "AT" I found out about cyanide "gassing" copper to restore the original color. In subsequent conversations with NGC regarding gassing and how I as a collector could detect it myself in the future, I was told that the graders have to rely on their gut instinct when making determinations as to whether a coin had been tampered with in many instances. Apparently there is no hard and fast rules regarding AT determinations for all coins. So if a coin that is known to have been to the doctor and still gets slabbed, I guess that we can only say the grader that day musta had one heck of a bellyache. >>

clw54 · September 14, 2006 12:56PM

Who was it that said RussView pictures were lousy?

Haven't seen him lately.

shylock · September 15, 2006 6:49AM

AmericanCopper - no need to apologize for Russ. Proof RD IH's are virtually impossible to image in a complementary way.

I found it encouraging that even he had a hard time with them

AmericanCopper · September 15, 2006 7:34AM

As there were so many guesses as to the color designation, I thought I would clear that up. As Shylock noted, Proof Indianheads (or any other proof copper) is one of the most difficult coins to image. Digital photography just doesn't do justice to red hues.

As an aside here: I have a couple of MS Indians that were gassed and I will have Russ image them for me as well. There may be a corolation between the Reds appearing "splotchy brown" moreso on gassed coins than on coppers that are original. In particular, I have a 1908-S that was a carbon copy of another I submitted at the same time. One graded MS64 Red (fingerprint remnant) and the other was AT'd. I'll post Russ' images of both and we'll see if there is any difference in the light refractions digital photography can discern. (poor man's spectrometer?) Might be interesting.

As far as apologizing for Russ??? - I've never seen Russ apologize for anything. In no way would I presume to be his spokesman and usurp his reputation as one of the best photographers in the coin world. I would earn his "Village Idiot of the Week" award.

Derek2100 · September 16, 2006 10:18AM

AT

Cam40 · September 16, 2006 10:25AM

do you use auto-contrast or auto-sharpening
it does look alittle `over-blown`

jonesy · September 16, 2006 10:38AM

Sweeeeeeeet coin and pic!!!

A RussView™ 1869 Indian Head Cent.

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