Capitol Coin Auction does many things right, but perhaps what it does best is combine excellent digital photography with accurate numismatic descriptions.
Only a relative handful of Proxibid auction houses showcase exemplary coin photography that captures detail, luster and color. Capitol Coin Auction does that better than anyone else on the portal. Here’s an example:
(This coin, by the way, graded MS65 at PCGS, certification 28957041.)
Compare the above photo with this one below, all too typical on the portal, purportedly showcasing another toned 1880s Morgan dollar:
Now more than ever, sharp expandable photos of obverse, reverse and close-ups of any flaw or variety will be essential on Proxibid because sellers are being rated–not only by us but by Proxibid itself! Auction houses that have gotten away with poor descriptions and blurry photos will be noted as such. In the end, the better the photo the less an auction house has to worry about the numismatic description, although both are indicators of excellence.
Last year’s winner in Best Photography was Key Date Coins, which has not held a recent auction. (We miss you, Eddie Caven!)
Here are photos from Honorable Mention houses in this year’s TOP Awards, showing detail, device and condition (click to expand):
Decatur Coin and Jewelry
Western Auction
Weaver Signature Coin and Currency Auction
Leonard Auction
Southwest Bullion and Coin
Those wishing to improve their photography should visit this post in Coin Update News.
Proxiblog is an independent entity with no connection to the auction portal Proxibid. Our intent is to uphold basic numismatic standards as established by the American Numismatic Association and the National Auctioneer Association and to ensure a pleasurable bidding experience not only on Proxibid but also on similar portals such as iCollector and AuctionZip.
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