VAMWorld 2.0

This should also help members understand reasons for certain varieties among the first few years of Morgan dollar production.

The letter's date in "1905" not "1895." You can blame my fumble fingers for the mistake.

Mint of the United States at Philadelphia, October 6, 1880 Sir, I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 4th inst., enclosing a copy of a letter from the Coiner of the mint at Carson City, addressed to the superintendent of that mint, and I also have to acknowledge the recei...

RG104 E-43 Washington, December 19, 1905 Superintendent U.S. Mint, Philadelphia, Pa., Sir: Your letter of the 18th instant relative to the payment of standard silver dollars in exchange for gold coin has been received. In reply, I would respectfully state that when the treasurer directs you to make ...

I think you mean "sandblast proof."

But, nope. Not even close to a medal press satin or sandblast proof. Sorry.

Compare ---

1921 Peace dollar master dies/hubs were made in haste (just outside of Bird-in-Hand, Pa), and were not of the quality they might have been if Pres. Harding had not wanted them dated "1921" to match the US treaty and opening of the Armaments Conference. Master dies & hubs were also swapped back and f...

Hmmmm...did Liberty have damage to her L3-L5 nerve roots? Must remember to ask Saint-Gaudens since it's really a copy of his Nike Erini. On the coin, it's likely polish, otherwise it would be visible on other 1921 dollars. (Curiously, the connection between this variety and 1921 satin proofs is not...

Hmmmm...did Liberty have damage to her L3-L5 nerve roots? Must remember to ask Saint-Gaudens since it really a copy of his Nike Erini. On the coin, it's likely polish, otherwise it would be visible on other 1921 dollars. (Curiously, the connection between this variety and 1921 satin proofs is not co...

coinnoob7 --- Good info post ! Axial lighting uses a small light source which improves clarity of fine detail. Using a larger light (or reflector) works contrary to the purpose. RE: "After some experimenting I don't think focus stacking software is going to work for measuring relief." Correct. Measu...

Roger does this technique have any effect against glare produced from the light reflecting off a TPG holder ? Most of the best lighting techniques are useless with slabbed coins and clear plastic holders, as messydesk noted. The primary difficulty is reflection off the slab's front and secondary su...

This short section about axial lighting is from a book on numismatic photography I wrote about 25 years ago. If you have questions just ask. It's very simple and effective, but one has to be precise. The plastic pipe is a baffle to prevent stray light from hitting the coin, and the light must be a s...

Fantastic story and one to be shared. Adventure and exploration is what drives the human spirit. Absolutely! This is the kind of story other collectors and hobby publications love to have! Please write your thoughts and recollections, possibly including specific coins. Having had personal contact w...

UNCLE BINGO wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 02, 2023 3:05 am

Scott , don't let this forum wear you out . Please take care of yourself . and thank you !

"Please take care of yourself ... and thank you !" Absolutely !

The OP's question might have wanted the answer "axial lighting." That's a way to produce the greatest definition in relief - but only if accurately done.

I feel that LateDateMorganGuy has the right idea but is missing the core concept: the materials to attract, interest, and develop don't exist. Neither do the follow-up approaches and simplified hand-on guidance. One cannot merely point a beginner to an obscure, dated booklet and then expect then to ...

Morganman and Vampicker mention some good points. Now....how about acting on them?

The ZEISS Visioner 1 uses image stacking as mentioned earlier, except they automate the process. It can produce nice images, but will give you no information about design relief.

You can also use a visual microscope with calibrated micrometer focus capability. With correct use, and some practice this can give you very good estimates of relief differences between points on a coin. The operation is simple: At high magnification accurate focus is critical. The difference betwee...

Thanks! Will keep trying.

RE: The sample page. Notice that for 1896 were were 4 obverse and 2 reverse proof dies used. How does that compare with accepted varieties? There were also 48 obv & rev dies from the Philadelphia Mint. Can those match known varieties?

Keilg1 - it's also about communicating ideas to increase engagement and improve what is already present. VAMpires can easily use this forum to offer suggestion and then discuss their merits, constraints and implementation. Everyone was once a beginner -- a trite but true statement -- what attracted ...