New project: coin cards

[TIF]

I haven't had any luck in an auction in more than a year (unwilling to bid high enough) and my collection is a chaotic mess, so looking for new ways to enjoy my existing collection.

Towards that end, I'm making a card catalog of sorts.  Most of my coins are in a safe deposit box, except for whatever I have on hand to photograph or enjoy at the moment.  Digital images are great but I miss being able to have a bunch of coins out on the table, arranging and rearranging, etc.  Perhaps the next best thing would be to make cards.

As with any project, there were more decisions that first imagined.  What size?  Print at home, or send to a print shop?  What type of finish?  How much info to include on the cards?  Front only, or front and back?

After some initial planning I went with 6" x 4" cards and when I have enough, I will buy a file box for them.  Not sure how they'll be organized within that box, but probably by general category (Greek, Roman Provincial, Roman Egypt, Roman Republic, etc), and then by whatever seems appropriate after that.  Eventually I'll give each coin a unique number, possibly just straight numbering rather than something complicated, and then I'll rearrange the coins in their plastic Whitman boxes to match that numbering (need to make a spreadsheet too, but that isn't as much fun as making and playing with cards 😁).

Here's the final layout.  Photo takes up most of the space, with attribution below.  General category at top right, with faint blank lines in case I find info to add at a later date (to be written by hand), although for some coins I'll put interesting information there before printing.

I tested the local Walgreens because it was quick and easy.  The tiny font was prone to smearing or smudging so that won't do.  After looking online, I chose mpix.com because they had many different types of prints.  The layout they require includes a 1/8" bleed border, so that's why the centering looks a bit off.  Here's an example of the digital file:

 

I ordered prints on all forms of paper that might work-- giclee, regular photo paper, deep matte, glossy, semi-gloss, metallic photo paper, +/- luster coating, heavy cardstock paper.  I thought cardstock would be best because I plan on handling these cards a lot.  The cardstock is certainly sturdier but the black is not as deep, the images are not as crisp, and even though it is matte, there is a lot of glare unless held at the right angle.  Of the other papers, the giclee semi-gloss was the winner, with giclee gloss a close second.  Here's a video of all the tested Mpix papers except the cardstock:
 

IMG_9375.mov Left to right:  giclee semi-gloss (Sauromates EL stater), giclee gloss (Mytilene hekte), regular photo e-surface (Bizya AE), regular print e-surface with lustre coating (Lucilla denarius), giclee deep matte (Ptolemy tet), regular photo metallic paper (Agathokles tet), regular photo metallic paper with lustre coating (Taras nomos)

Video of the giclee semi-gloss:

IMG_9383.MOV

Video of the cardstock (mpix's "signature print"):

IMG_9382.mov

A shot showing the thickness of 10 cardstock photos compared to 10 others (mixture of giclees and regular photo prints, some variation from type to type but all much flimsier):

I'm sure as soon as I sent of a big order I'll change my mind about what should be included on the cards or find typos.   It will be a good exercise in learning to accept imperfections and mistake 😆.


I still can't make up my mind about the type of paper-- the lovely cardstock is durable in terms of its weight/thickness but is more prone to showing scratches or stains.  After fretting about this for a ridiculous amount of time I have decided to order both a cardstock and a giclee semi-gloss for each.  In the scheme of things, it is not expensive.

This will be a long project because it takes time to create the cards.  For economy's sake I'll send them for printing in batches of 45 (or multiples of) because that's mpix's price break point.

Input appreciated (I haven't sent off a full order yet).  Also, I am interesting in seeing how you organize your coins, or any similar organizational attempts.  😊

 

 

 

Edited August 31 by TIF

[Ten-Speed]

Beautiful. Does Walgreen's do the printing onto the card or do you use a printer? I still use red boxes.

[TIF]

@Ten-Speed, Walgreens prints to regular photo paper, the kind that glossy.  I don't remember if they offer choices of finish or paper... probably... but I wanted to see results immediately and chose what was available for local printing and pickup. I sent a few to Walgreens for test prints via their website, and then picked up the prints an hour or so later.  I did not have an 1/8 bleed border so that would have helped. However, the font used is very small and it looked smeared and smudgy.  Other than that, and some residual curving of the paper due to have come from a roll (and that would probably flatten with time), they were okay. 

Here's one of the Walgreens prints.  Overall, the color was good.  The black is fairly deep although with a hint of a green tint.  Also, the cut is not good.  Look at the top right, above "Roman Republic".  The cut angles down a bit right there so the top cut is not flush.  Looks like the print picked up a lot of dust (probably the fault of the housekeeper-- meaning me 😏).

Here's the mpix giclee print, semi-gloss.  I tried writing on it with a ballpoint pen to see if the surface would take ink (yes) and pencil (no)-- glossy photos generally don't take ballpoint ink or pencil.  I got a bit of sticky goo on the photo (top of the obverse... my fault) but the durability seems okay.  There's a bit of residual curve to the paper but I was told it would flatten out if I put it on a horizontal surface and cover with a book for a while.


The mpix "signature print" cardstock, nice heavy weight:

Edited September 2 by TIF

[Ten-Speed]

I really like the layout and how all the information is right on the photo. What a great assembly of cards if you ever must sell. Thanks for the detailed explanation.

[TIF]

Oooh!!  Idea!!!  Anyone remember the board game "Masterpiece"?  Wouldn't it be fun to recreate the game with pictures of ancient coins instead of famous artwork?  We had fun playing this, 40-50 years ago.

Might not be able to find anyone who wants to play it with me though 😆.


(picture from eBay)

[Curtisimo]

I’m glad you posted this @TIF. I’ve been considering a similar project. Right now I use 2x2 flips for my coins and ephemera but some of the tags and old envelopes are too big for the 2x2 flips and have to be stored separately. I’d like to keep all my ephemera together so I have been considering making tags that are 2.5x2.5 or bigger and have a photo of the coin.

My biggest concern was that, like you, I photograph my collection on a black background and didn’t know if that would transfer well onto a tag or envelope. Glad to see that yours look good!

Edited September 2 by Curtisimo

[AETHER]

Very cool. I wish I had more time. I half ass any project I try like this or not finish. Good job.

 

 

[-monolith-]

On 8/31/2024 at 12:23 PM, TIF said:

I haven't had any luck in an auction in more than a year (unwilling to bid high enough) and my collection is a chaotic mess, so looking for new ways to enjoy my existing collection.

Towards that end, I'm making a card catalog of sorts.  Most of my coins are in a safe deposit box, except for whatever I have on hand to photograph or enjoy at the moment.  Digital images are great but I miss being able to have a bunch of coins out on the table, arranging and rearranging, etc.  Perhaps the next best thing would be to make cards.

As with any project, there were more decisions that first imagined.  What size?  Print at home, or send to a print shop?  What type of finish?  How much info to include on the cards?  Front only, or front and back?

After some initial planning I went with 6" x 4" cards and when I have enough, I will buy a file box for them.  Not sure how they'll be organized within that box, but probably by general category (Greek, Roman Provincial, Roman Egypt, Roman Republic, etc), and then by whatever seems appropriate after that.  Eventually I'll give each coin a unique number, possibly just straight numbering rather than something complicated, and then I'll rearrange the coins in their plastic Whitman boxes to match that numbering (need to make a spreadsheet too, but that isn't as much fun as making and playing with cards 😁).

Here's the final layout.  Photo takes up most of the space, with attribution below.  General category at top right, with faint blank lines in case I find info to add at a later date (to be written by hand), although for some coins I'll put interesting information there before printing.

I tested the local Walgreens because it was quick and easy.  The tiny font was prone to smearing or smudging so that won't do.  After looking online, I chose mpix.com because they had many different types of prints.  The layout they require includes a 1/8" bleed border, so that's why the centering looks a bit off.  Here's an example of the digital file:

 

I ordered prints on all forms of paper that might work-- giclee, regular photo paper, deep matte, glossy, semi-gloss, metallic photo paper, +/- luster coating, heavy cardstock paper.  I thought cardstock would be best because I plan on handling these cards a lot.  The cardstock is certainly sturdier but the black is not as deep, the images are not as crisp, and even though it is matte, there is a lot of glare unless held at the right angle.  Of the other papers, the giclee semi-gloss was the winner, with giclee gloss a close second.  Here's a video of all the tested Mpix papers except the cardstock:
 

IMG_9375.mov Left to right:  giclee semi-gloss (Sauromates EL stater), giclee gloss (Mytilene hekte), regular photo e-surface (Bizya AE), regular print e-surface with lustre coating (Lucilla denarius), giclee deep matte (Ptolemy tet), regular photo metallic paper (Agathokles tet), regular photo metallic paper with lustre coating (Taras nomos)

Video of the giclee semi-gloss:

IMG_9383.MOV

Video of the cardstock (mpix's "signature print"):

IMG_9382.mov

A shot showing the thickness of 10 cardstock photos compared to 10 others (mixture of giclees and regular photo prints, some variation from type to type but all much flimsier):

I'm sure as soon as I sent of a big order I'll change my mind about what should be included on the cards or find typos.   It will be a good exercise in learning to accept imperfections and mistake 😆.


I still can't make up my mind about the type of paper-- the lovely cardstock is durable in terms of its weight/thickness but is more prone to showing scratches or stains.  After fretting about this for a ridiculous amount of time I have decided to order both a cardstock and a giclee semi-gloss for each.  In the scheme of things, it is not expensive.

This will be a long project because it takes time to create the cards.  For economy's sake I'll send them for printing in batches of 45 (or multiples of) because that's mpix's price break point.

Input appreciated (I haven't sent off a full order yet).  Also, I am interesting in seeing how you organize your coins, or any similar organizational attempts.  😊

 

 

 

@TIF What software are you using to generate the background with the coin reflection? I've seen several members using similar software.

[TIF]

41 minutes ago, -monolith- said:

@TIF What software are you using to generate the background with the coin reflection? I've seen several members using similar software.

Photoshop Elements, but you could use just about any photo editor that uses layers.  You have to create the layers yourself but can then save a master template.  It does require some work for each coin though.  Perhaps there is a way to automate some of the steps but I've never looked into it.

I insert the obverse and reverse (with transparent background) as the topmost layers, adjust their sizes and positions, then copy each, flip vertically and drag towards the bottom, and then drag those reflection layers below the "shadow" layers.  I usually dial down the brightness of the coin's reflection, typically ~30-50%, because I don't want the reflection to compete too much with the coin itself.

Here are the layers before adding the coin.  This is saved as the master template.

After adding the coin and doing all of the other steps mentioned above:

 

Result:

 

Edited September 2 by TIF

[O-Towner]

Super job with excellent photos and details ... and really like the included TIF monogram!

I also saw a coin from the Buddy Ebsen collection, not sure why but I have never seen his name mentioned in association with ancient coins.

 

 

[-monolith-]

14 minutes ago, TIF said:

Photoshop Elements, but you could you just about any photo editor that uses layers.  You have to create the layers yourself but can then save a master template.  It does require some work for each coin though.  Perhaps there is a way to automate some of the steps but I've never looked into it.

I insert the obverse and reverse (with transparent background) as the topmost layers, adjust their sizes and positions, then copy each, flip vertically and drag towards the bottom, and then drag those reflection layers below the "shadow" layers.  I usually dial down the brightness of the coin's reflection, typically ~30-50%, because I don't want the reflection to compete too much with the coin itself.

Here are the layers before adding the coin.  This is saved as the master template.

After adding the coin and doing all of the other steps mentioned above:

 

Result:

 

Thanks so much, I'm using a current version of Photoshop CS so I should be able to create the template fairly quickly.  

[TIF]

6 minutes ago, O-Towner said:

Super job with excellent photos and details ... and really like the included TIF monogram!

I also saw a coin from the Buddy Ebsen collection, not sure why but I have never seen his name mentioned in association with ancient coins.

 

 

Thanks 😊. 

Ancients weren't Ebsen's main focus, apparently.  He had an extensive collection of US coins, from what I've read.  Somewhere I have a catalog from the Superior Galleries sale.

 

15 hours ago, AETHER said:

Very cool. I wish I had more time. I half ass any project I try like this or not finish. Good job.

 

 

I suspect this will be a very drawn-out project for the same reason :).

[CPK]

Looks great @TIF. I've thought about doing something similar but never got it done. It's like creating a personal collection catalog.