Newbie Question: What Are You Looking For When You Photograph A Coin?

OK, did the HK 10 dollars coin again.

Success, looks like I can not put URL and IMG together . . . anyways, back to topic, the larger image reveals much more details and a little bit less harsh shadows.

Larger Image, check out details.

Thanks Zurie.

Now, combined with others' posts, I now know what business strike is (circulated issues) Still learning.

I'll add a coin that has uncirculated cartwheel luster made out of zinc(!) and say I angled the shot just right to try to get the light good. This was also taken on my phone camera


FYI, this is a Bulgaria 1917 10 stotinki.

Proof coins do not have such flow lines. The field should be mirror like. (But they occasionally do have a few flow lines, if the working dies are not polished in time.) For business strikes, the "proof-like" coins, i.e., those pressed with newly polished dies, have very few flow lines. As the dies start to wear, more flow lines will show up and luster bands will develop. The initial luster bands are narrow and bright. Coins with such luster bands are appealing to collectors. With more wear on the dies, flow lines become longer and wider, and the reflected luster bands become dull and wide. So it is important to use a narrow light source at a low angle, to show luster bands properly.

Here is a picture of flow lines on a Chinese PROOF coin. A retired expert from the mint admitted that they had cut the corner in preparing the dies for this coin.