Dark Toning Of Small Medieval Coins And Flash Photography

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Author	Replies: 3 / Views: 941
Collects82 Pillar of the Community United States 1316 Posts	Posted 07/15/2016 12:33 pm Aloha Friday! In my quest for the coins of '82, I've added a couple very cool small sized silver/billon coins this year. One is from 1382, and the more recent is this 1582 piece. Both coins are rather small, maybe a CM diameter. In real life, both of the coins have a rather dark toning. In both purchases, the dealer had shot the coin using a flash, which gives these coins a notably lighter appearance they they naturally are. Here are 3 images: first is how dark it really is (sorry for the focus, but color is pretty accurate), second is with my flash, and third is the dealers image. I have a couple of questions: Firstly, how normal is this dark toning going to be for small late Medieval coins? Secondly, I understand the use of the flash to make the coin easier to see. I think the coin, regardless is undeniably cool for my collection. For any future buys, should I expect more of these to be darker than advertised, it's the way this niche of coins just are? Consequently, should I have a lower expectation for the the real coin in this niche compared to what I see, meaning I should usually expect these little coins to me notably darker than imaged for sale? Should I expect dealers to make notes of their use of flash to enhance the details in their images? I understand the importance of asking questions; this is more about setting my baseline at an appropriate point. Just hoping for thoughts from Community members with more experience with these. Report this Post to the Staff

Kamnaskires Pillar of the Community United States 7066 Posts	Posted 07/15/2016 1:01 pm Assuming the coin is bronze or copper, it's more accurate to refer to the coloring (oxidized metal) as patina. Toning is the equivalent process on silver coins. Very dark patinas are quite common on ancient and medieval bronze coins. Sellers often tweak the tone in pics online, if not with flashes then with software like Photoshop. I think that usually the goal is to simply make details more legible (rather than to deceive). Of course in these cases they should definitely mention the photo's adjustment in the coin's description, which of course they usually don't do. Having said that, many dealers do add descriptions about patinas ("black patina," "dark green/brown patina," etc.). In my opinion, even more unethical than tweaking photos and not mentioning it in descriptions is the application of "fake" sand patinas to "pop" dark coins' devices. Unfortunately this is an all too common practice. Report this Post to the Staff
Spence Moderator United States 34430 Posts	Posted 07/15/2016 8:29 pm Quote: Firstly, how normal is this dark toning going to be for small late Medieval coins? Very common on medieval silver coins except typically for those that have had the tarnish/patina stripped away by cleaning. Quote: For any future buys, should I expect more of these to be darker than advertised, it's the way this niche of coins just are? IMHO, the dealer's pic and the coin are more different than should be expected. I agree with Bob that the pictures may be lightened (or darkened) to improve contrast and make the designs more visible, but this seems like a lot of "improvement". By the way, is this little guy French or Holy Roman Empire? I see CAROLVS V in the inscription. Would love more details about your coin! "If you climb a good tree, you get a push." -----Ghanaian proverb "The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed." -----King Adz Report this Post to the Staff
Collects82 Pillar of the Community United States 1316 Posts	Posted 07/15/2016 10:57 pm Here are the enhanced images of both sides of the coin. The bold 1582 makes it a great fit in my collection, and the bust is just cool. It is attributed to feudal issue of Franche Comte, Cite de Besançon. Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 3 / Views: 941

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