Zen and the Art of Numismatic Photography

Ten years ago, in the depths of a typically bitter Canadian winter, I was a practically broke university student. I had a few coins, and I figured the Internet would probably be the best way to sell them to get some extra cash. Thus began my first foray into coin photography (with a massive and slow IBM flatbed scanner). My equipment and techniques have certainly changed since then, but my philosophy when it comes to photographing coins remains the same.

I eventually earned a BA in Visual Arts, and while the degree's overall practical use in the real world may be limited, it certainly has influenced how I go about photographing a coin. I have the mindset that each coin is a small art object, no matter how grandiose a design may be (such as a High Relief Saint-Gaudens), or a more, shall we say, more dubious design (I won't name names).

With that in mind, I direct my lighting so depictions on the coins make sense for the design. For example, on the reverse of a Saint-Gaudens double eagle, the sun is shown at the bottom of the coin, so I try to direct the light up at the eagle rather than the top of it. With small cents, my intention is to illuminate Mr. Lincoln and not necessarily the coin itself. From there I shift my attention to the more technical aspects of the coin such as the color, surface, etc.

How I manage my lighting is another matter. I won't get into too much technical detail, but suffice it to say the lights are very powerful. One light is high up above my setup, another off to the side. The third source is actually a reflector I manipulate by hand. The reflector is a key component for me; I have a series of handmade reflectors with varying sizes and intensities. Those are the basics, but there are an infinite number of permutations I can use for an individual coin – how the coin is inclined, angled, rotated in the frame (none of the shots are composed so I photograph coins at all sorts of wacky angles), how close or far the lights are, length of exposure and so forth.

This description of what I do may not be entirely helpful for the aspiring numismatic photographer. To be honest, it's hard for me to break it down to an exact science, or pure numbers, degrees of inclination, precise angle of incidence, intensities of lights etc. I rely mostly on my gut instincts as an artist to provide the images for PCGS TrueView™ and for PCGS CoinFacts™.

If you have any questions or comments about numismatic photography, or the art of numismatics, feel free to email me directly at [email protected]. I'll be answering your questions in future editions of the PCGS eCollector. Until then, keep having fun with your coins.