Copper, silver and aluminium disks ...

[ChrisGreaves]

Please see also This post.

The JPG shows 7 coins which climbed out of the woodwork during yesterday’s office-tidy-blitz.
I’d appreciate help in identifying each coin.
Coin 1: A Canadian 1952 50c piece. Anyone have any idea how much it is worth?
Coin 2: A 2c Euro. Nation?
Coin 3: A 5c Euro. Nation?
Coin 4: ??
Coin 5: A Cuban 1988 1 centavo
Coin 6: A 1c Euro. Nation?
Coin 7: A Greek 1962 ??

Coins.JPG

[PaulB]

Coin 1: A Canadian 1952 50c piece. Anyone have any idea how much it is worth?

About US$0.47? Is this a trick question?

[HansV]

#2 is from Italy
#3 is from Germany
#4 is 1 Dirham from Morocco, 1965.
#6 is from Germany, I think, but it's hard to see
#7 is 1 Drachme

[ChrisGreaves]

Is this a trick question?

No, given that is 50+ years old, I wondered if it had any added value.

[ChrisGreaves]

#6 is from Germany, I think, but it's hard to see

Thanks Hans. I'll try to clean it up and re-post.

#7 is 1 Drachme

I think this lends itself to a rather pleasant and novel mild curse:
"Well, Drach me!"

[Doc Watson]

Is this a trick question?

No, given that is 50+ years old, I wondered if it had any added value.

It's a Canadian coin Chris. Nothing special was going on at that time to make Canadian coins rare or minted in low numbers.

Age alone does not mean value. If that were the case, some of us would be worth our weight in gold.

[Argus]

Age alone does not mean value. If that were the case, some of us would be worth our weight in gold.

But if something is old AND rare, scarce, there will be a larger value. And there is only one Doc Watson, so ...

[PaulB]

On a more serious note, it looks like this coin may be worth up to $60.00. See http://torontocoins.com/50cents.html.

Capture.PNG

[Doc Watson]

Age alone does not mean value. If that were the case, some of us would be worth our weight in gold.

But if something is old AND rare, scarce, there will be a larger value. And there is only one Doc Watson, so ...

Spoken like a true intellectual !!! I knew there was a good reason I liked you Argus.

[Doc Watson]

On a more serious note, it looks like this coin may be worth up to $60.00. See http://torontocoins.com/50cents.html.

Capture.PNG

I'm pretty sure the "MS" designation stands for Mint Set, which this coin obviously is not. It may be worth more than the face value though.

1952 ................................... AU-50 $ 7.00

[ChrisGreaves]

I'm pretty sure the "MS" designation stands for Mint Set, which this coin obviously is not. 1952 ................................... AU-50 $ 7.00

I'll agree on the "MS" interpretation, but next time I go downtown, the coin is going in my pocket to be valued, just for the heck of it.
I started reading through the web page and stopped way after the "1 points at/between the denticles" bit; I stopped when I got to the bit about whether or not one of the hoofs had a secondary tip, and THAT's after the bit about the hoof being above the 4, or the two variations of "at the back of the 4".

Don't these people have anything better to do (grin!)

[ChrisGreaves]

On a more serious note, it looks like this coin may be worth up to $60.00.

Thanks Paul. "Or at least as much as $25".
Please see also my response to Doc.
This coin is taking a trip downtown!

[ChrisGreaves]

[quote="ChrisGreaves"]The JPG shows 1 of the 7 coins which climbed out of the woodwork, I tried to clean it up, plus two "new" coins.
1. (originally posted as "Coin 6: A 1c Euro. Nation?")
2. An old US dime (see next post)
3, A 25c token - poker machine? transit? amusement park?

1.JPG

[HansV]

Coin #6 from the original set definitely shows the oak leaves design of the German euro cent:

1,_2_&_5_euro_cents_Germany.png

[ChrisGreaves]

I was staggered to find how difficult it can be to photograph coins.
In the end I opted to photograph them on my white oilskin table cloth. I reasoned that the light bouncing off the cloth would inhibit too much flash, but I can't say I've been very successful.
I tried both head-on and oblique shots.

The images total 4.15 MB so I made a simple web page for those who are keen enough to look at them in detail.

I learned that the HP Photosmart R837, in close-up mode, is comfortable about 5 cm away from the subject; I didn't realize that close-up could be that close up.
I am amazed at the detail available to me.

How close is close-up?
I held the camera in my right hand and triggered it with my index finger.
I used my left hand as a tripod, with the little finger resting on the table top.
In this configuration the front/face of the camera is about 5 cm away from the coin.

Here's a preview of the last image on my web page.

Coins_001.JPG

[ChrisGreaves]

Coin #6 from the original set definitely shows the oak leaves design of the German euro cent:

Thanks, Hans. I took the liberty of updating my web page before posting this reply.

HPIM2986 (Small).JPG

[ChrisGreaves]

I was staggered to find how difficult it can be to photograph coins.

I learned too that sometimes having the coin in the corner of the shot seems to make a better shot.
Compare the two images (reproduced here not for detail of the coin, but to show the effect of coin-placement on the brightness).
The camera flash is centered on the image.
In the second shot the coin suffers from brightness, in the first shot the coin seems clearer without the high-brightness.

HPIM2987 (WinCE).JPG

HPIM2986 (WinCE).JPG

[jonwallace]

Just a few words about photographing stuff like this.

My wife makes greeting cards (some of which are extremely intricate). She like photographs to keep once she has sent the cards.

I've found that my Sony Alpha 100 with the 18-70 kit lens take the most acceptable pictures in natural light, usually on a white table near a window. If I have to take them by artificial light, I position the white tabletop under a halogen lamp. I don't use the built-in flash if I can help it, it always causes bright over-exposed highlights. (The artificial light shots generally have to be white-balanced using the Gimp (if I'm doing it) or Picasa if she does it)

[Doc Watson]

I was staggered to find how difficult it can be to photograph coins.

Try scanning them at high resolution. If you use a flatbed scanner, you can lay a spread of coins on the bed and selectively scan them one at a time or in groups.

Zero glare or flashback issues.

[Don Wells]

No, given that is 50+ years old, I wondered if it had any added value.

Hi Chris
    According to this site the max value of your half dollar coin is $225.00