Grading coins based on poor quality images

[echidna]

Not unusual to spot a potentially high grade item on ebay with a low resolution/poor scan.
How do you grade based on a poor quality image ?
Its always a roll of the dice I guess.
But is there a way to get a better idea of the true grade ?
Also has anyone tried a program called UNJPEG ?
As an example here is one I've got in the pipeline:
Image is very poor but the coin could be nice.

[markn]

That penny looks to have some meat on it and I wouldn't be surprised if those lighter marks on the high points are simply from where it's been touching a PVC album page or something similar.  I'd be surprised if it wasn't a nice UNC brown coin.

I've had a few great wins buying coins from poor images.  I've also had a number of fails.  My four tips for buying from poor images are:

1. Buying copper from poor images is easier than silver.  Because cleaned copper is easier to pick than cleaned silver.
2. Only buy silver from poor images if you can see some hint of mint lustre.  If you don't see mint lustre then you're really flying blind.
3. Don't pay big money on coins with bad images.  Only buy them if they are cheap.
3. Even if you do buy cheap be prepared to do your dough on a rubbish coin.  Sometimes rubbish images are a direct result of a rubbish coin.

[Fr45h3R]

Hi echidna,
I would probably look at that one around the gEF / aUNC mark.

With poor images, sometimes the colours of a copper coin can indicate grade. For example a blurry photos can still show lustre / brightness. The pattern of the toning, ie: redness through legends is something I keep an eye out for.
This is just for photos though, scans are a different story altogether.

I haven't seen UNJPEG before. I'm not across how jpeg compression works, but a program like this could be ok ?

[markn]

I haven't seen UNJPEG before. I'm not across how jpeg compression works, but a program like this could be ok ?

It don't believe it can work.  JPEG is a lossy compression method, which basically means that information is lost to make the image small.  No amount of "uncompression" can restore that information regardless of what some software tells you it can do.

It's as ridiculous as those movies where they use some grainy security camera image and miraculously zoom in 1000x to see the brand of someone's shoes or the colour of their eyes.

[trout]

That penny looks to have some meat on it and I wouldn't be surprised if those lighter marks on the high points are simply from where it's been touching a PVC album page or something similar.  I'd be surprised if it wasn't a nice UNC brown coin.

I've had a few great wins buying coins from poor images.  I've also had a number of fails.  My four tips for buying from poor images are:

1. Buying copper from poor images is easier than silver.  Because cleaned copper is easier to pick than cleaned silver.
2. Only buy silver from poor images if you can see some hint of mint lustre.  If you don't see mint lustre then you're really flying blind.
3. Don't pay big money on coins with bad images.  Only buy them if they are cheap.
3. Even if you do buy cheap be prepared to do your dough on a rubbish coin.  Sometimes rubbish images are a direct result of a rubbish coin.

Well said Mark :good:
eBay is always a gamble unless you know who you are dealing with regardless of the images supplied on the listings.
I have been shafted by listings that have had great images of superb coins but have received crap coins instead :dash1:
I have also gambled on lousy pics and picked up gems.
I much prefer to buy off people I can trust and get EXACTY what I pay for :yahoo:
A 4 year old could take better pictures than I could so I simply scan most coins I sell, I will never outperform most eBay sellers but my buyers are always happy with what they get.
eBay used to be an amazing place to buy and sell before the ratbag scammers invaded the site.
It is still good but you have to have your wits about you and bid accordingly :ok:
I can remember before we had the luxury of sites like this and ebay buying coins off newsgroups ( probably way before most of you mobs time) and I had to wear a lot of crap deals but did get some great deals.
To surmise , simply go with your gut feeling and if that doesn't work make a list of the sellers that you can rely on :ok:

[Mister T]

I usually move on unless the photo is good.

[wwwww]

Sometimes you just got to take the gamble on some bad images, e.g.:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Australian-pennies-/151044202733?nma=true&si=XDurMovn7OVRFVWS69IiavMu69o%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Honestly, when I was opening the packet I was thinking, why did I buy this?

Then:

[Fr45h3R]

:shock:

Can't repeat the words that just come out of my mouth.

Nice pickup.

[ausjack]

Thanks Walter :good: I keep tellin everyone that my coins look better in hand than my crappy pic's, so take note people for when you see my beautiful pic's :winkextra:

[Splock]

It's as ridiculous as those movies where they use some grainy security camera image and miraculously zoom in 1000x to see the brand of someone's shoes or the colour of their eyes.

You mean Blade Runner's not real? :icon_cry:

[Fulvio]

Honestly, when I was opening the packet I was thinking, why did I buy this?

HOLY COW, BATMAN!!!!! :yahoo:

Verrrrryyyyy nice. Congratulations.

[markn]

It's as ridiculous as those movies where they use some grainy security camera image and miraculously zoom in 1000x to see the brand of someone's shoes or the colour of their eyes.

You mean Blade Runner's not real? :icon_cry:

Yes, something like that.  Blade Runner is such a good movie I can forgive it.  The various flavours of CSI that do it, I cannot forgive.

Hmmm.  I appear to have deleted your smilie in my Sunday morning smilie purge.

[enworb]

Nice pick up walter!!!!

[coxspau]

I'm going to regret writing this, although I'm sure everyone already has their eyes peeled, but I read a story on the old forum where a number of years ago someone took a flier on a very bad photo of a 1922 Threepence. Any guesses on what the delivered coin turned out to be? No prizes for correctly guessing.

[Fulvio]

NO! Seriously?