The poor quality of some images on the Web makes searching for varieties on the Web more challenging. Coin images on the Web can be out of focus, small, low resolution, low contrast, with bright reflections and dark shadows. How do you combat these image shortcomings? Here are a few approaches I have found helpful. Of course, the poor quality of some Web images makes the availability of clues to a variety more valuable. They give you more to look for.
In General. There is little you can do about some poor quality images. If the image is low resolution or grossly out of focus, you should probably just look at the image for a different coin. If the image is small but appears sharp, you can expand the image and perhaps see some details more clearly. In most Web browsers this can be done by holding down the <ctrl> key and pressing the + key, repeatedly if you like. This will increase the size of the Web page. Holding down <ctrl> and pressing the – key will reduce the size of the page.
If an image has poor contrast (either too little or too much), sometimes tilting your screen will make a noticeable improvement. Some systems have a simple control for manipulating the contrast of your display which also might help. If not sufficient, you can bring the image into a simple image management program. I use Microsoft Office Picture Manager although most any similar program will do.
Many images on the Web are over exposed. Some sellers believe having a bright image makes the coin more desirable. If you reduce the brightness of the image (either with controls on your display or in a program), then you might be able to see more detail.
Die Production Varieties. Doubled Dies, Re-Punched Mint Marks, and Over Mint Marks are difficult to detect in Web images because in most cases the area of the doubling is very close to the original element. This allows shadows and reflections off the original element to look like doubling. This is even true when you have the coin in your hand.
To interpret bright reflections and dark shadows, take a look at the whole image to assess the general qualities and features of the image. Which sides of the devices and legends have bright reflections and which have dark shadows? If there appears to be doubling to the East, but all features of the image have bright lines to the East, then likely the “doubling” is merely reflections. Exhortations to look for a “corner” or a “notch” are always worth remembering, but these features are frequently very small and difficult to see unless the image is of very high resolution. They also are easily overwhelmed by reflections and shadows. Sometimes you can use a simple image manipulation program to reduce the impact of shadows and reflections. Reducing the contrast of the image may dim the bright spots and brighten the shadows.
For Doubled Dies, I find it helpful to remember that if a feature is doubled, that means it takes up more room. Something else must be smaller (e.g., the blank space) or closer (other features). For example, if E PLURIBUS UNUM is doubled, then compare the size of the holes in the P, R and B to those of the variety. Or if UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is doubled, perhaps there is less space between the letters, or between the letters and the rim. Check a good image of the variety and then check the Web image. Sometimes the side effects of the doubling are as apparent as the doubling itself.
Particularly for Re-Punched Mint Marks, knowing precisely what you are looking for is paramount. Precisely where is the primary mint mark located with respect to FIVE CENTS and the rim? Is it well-centered, close to the rim? Close to the E in FIVE or the C in CENTS? Is it tilted? Similarly for the secondary image the positioning both with respect to the primary image and FIVE CENTS and the rim is crucial.
Abraded Die Varieties. The story for Two Feather, No F, and Three and a Half Leg varieties is a bit different. Abraded Die Varieties have had part of the coin design abraded away. It is greatly reduced or even no longer visible on the coin. This “blank” area is relatively easy to see, if you know to look for it. Finding the “blankness” is still subject to poor quality, fuzzy images but reflections and shadows tend to be much less of a problem. As above, to address images with poor contrast (either too little or too much), you can either adjust your monitor’s controls or bring the image into a simple image manipulation program to improve the contrast and brightness.
For Two Feather varieties it is important to know whether the date is a “pure” 2F with no trace of a feather or not. If there is a trace, it is important to know what the remnants of the feather look like. This can help guide where you look and how you interpret color differences. The most frequent problem I have with images of possible 2F varieties is deciding whether a dim discoloration in the image is mere toning or the partial outline of a feather. After playing with the image contrast and brightness, about the only alternative is to ask whether the discoloration is in precisely the right place to be the partial edge of a feather. If it is in the right place (which varies somewhat from one date to the next), then it probably is part of a feather.
The same question and answer, holds for No F varieties. If a discoloration is in the right location and appears to form part of a line, it probably represents a trace of the F.
For Three and a Half Leg varieties, the question is: How much leg is missing? One is inclined to look directly at the leg to determine the answer. However, frequently it is easier to tell by looking at the space between the front two legs. As a partially abraded fourth leg gets weaker, that space gets larger. For some reason, it often is easier to see a difference in this space than in the leg per se, particularly on Web images.