A Crown

[NannyFerret]

I shot this silver crown fairly quickly for a friend who has an interest in old coins so he could give me some more info on it.
He is an avid metal detector and found a hoard of old coins which were valued at £400+ 

 

I shot the two sides of the coin with my Lumix FZ100, Macro setting, then started with a new blank file, changed the colour and pasted both shots( converted to B&W and edited in Lightzone) of the coin onto it, resizing as needed.
I just used my led butterfly lamp for lighting and the bit of ambient light in the room.
The lighting needs to be diffused and more lighting to the other side to even it up.

 

Nothing special, I just though I would post it out of interest.

 

 

[bugmeister]

The lighting needs to be diffused and more lighting to the other side to even it up.

 

Nothing special, I just though I would post it out of interest.

 

 

I'd not worry too much about even lighting on a subject like this, angled light will often bring out details because of the shadows that you just wouldn't see with flatter light. Always worth experimenting, but I think this one works well.

 

And,yes there is a definite interest factor. I have no knowledge of old coins or who Ludwig XV might have been in 1731, but this is the kind of shot that can easily trigger someone into going to find out. 

[Korky]

I think you've made a great job, Nanny - they certainly look very good to me.

 

Just one question....... What's a butterfly lamp? I sometimes tinker with still-life subjects and lighting is always my problem.

 

Korky

[NannyFerret]

Thanks, Bugs. I edited it to bring the inscription detail out a bit so ,y friend could see it properly..
The led lights did give a very blue cast so I have leant something about the led lights temperature  from my little session with the coin.

 

The inscription is in Latin, I gather, so I don't know who he is either.  .

[NannyFerret]

I think you've made a great job, Nanny - they certainly look very good to me.

 

Just one question....... What's a butterfly lamp? I sometimes tinker with still-life subjects and lighting is always my problem.

 

Korky

Thanks, Korky.

Butterfly light is just my name for it, but here it is and you will see why.

They also have another bendy one with a light each end.

I forgot that I also have the led light that clips onto my camera via the hotshoe and bracket.

I got mine when they had a really good sale on and it was under £5, but even at £9.99, I still think it's a good buy.

 

http://www.7dayshop.com/7dayshop-torch-large-28cm-tall-satellite-30-x-led-camping-lantern-work-light-table-light?backUrl=L2NhdGFsb2dzZWFyY2gvcmVzdWx0L2luZGV4Lz9xPWxlZCtsaWdodCNsaW1pdD0xMDA=

 

[Korky]

I shall check that out, Nanny, thanks muchly.

 

But now......... It's Friday night and it's beer time. Wooooooooooo!!!!!!!!

 

Korky

[annie]

Wonderful work nanny....pleased for your mate too...400 squid, not to be sneezed at..

[NannyFerret]

Wonderful work nanny....pleased for your mate too...400 squid, not to be sneezed at..

He lives in Telford, so can drive in any direction to find fields etc. to do his detecting, Annie. It was a couple of years ago and I think he has only had small finds since, but he enjoys it,

He was another ferret foster parent for Mercia, so we go to know him through that.

I think it would be quite arm aching to carry one of those detectors around. It's hard enough with the camera. lol

[annie]

Yes..I have watched them on the beaches of Norfolk, and have thought, dear god that must make your neck and shoulder hurt so, if not now, keep it up and later in life you will pay. But, they are doing what interest them, and good on em I say! 

[ChrisLumix]

Interesting. I'm also a member of a coin collector forum, and one of the regular issues there is how to photograph coins. (And before you ask, no I don't - it needs a special approach, which Tina has demonstrated very well  )

[NannyFerret]

I don't know about a special approach Chris, but I think the editing was the thing that made it look a lot better.

It was hand held so I surprised myself that I managed to keep the camera still long enough to get some shots that weren't blurred, but it has got me motivated a bit more.

I think It help that I had already put the table, lamp and a few bits and bobs upstairs yesterday, so they were ready to use.

Light zone is good too, and it's free.

.

[annie]

Wonder who held them............we will never know,

 

and that is all part of the mystery..

[NannyFerret]

Wonder who held them............we will never know,

and that is all part of the mystery..

When I get something old, I always wonder a bit about it's history.

John was helping a friend who bought old houses cheap and renovated the to rent or sell and he found the coin.

He also found a gold ladies ring in between the floor boards and quite damaged and a couple of the litre seed pearls missing.

It has a nice oval garnet in the middle surrounded by the little pearls.

His nephew works in a jewellers and took it to be cleaned and repaired and it's lovely.

[ChrisLumix]

Is it a French crown Tina? LUD is probably an abbreviation for LUDWIG, while FR ET NAV REX is probably "KING OF FRANCE AND NAVARRE". I'm afraid my history isn't strong enough to know if there was a King Ludwig in those parts at that time!

[bugmeister]

Good call Chris.

 

It was actually Louis XV on the throne of France at that time, but the coinage had "LUD.XV.D.G.FR.ET.NAV" and the portrait facing left, so presumably LUD was the shortened version used on coins.

 

The 'A' on the bottom of the left hand image is the mint mark for Paris (another snippet found on the interweb)

 

Sources :

Louis XV info from http://home.eckerd.edu/~oberhot/froybour.htm about 60% of the way down the page

Mintmark info from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mint_mark

[NannyFerret]

I haven't a clue, Chris.

I had a search yesterday but couldn't come up with anything at t#he time.

I had thought it was Victorian at the time, but once I had  a good look, I realised that it wasn't Victoria on it.
Maybe it was made in honour of someone at the time.