Do You Have The Sense To Know Your US Cents?

We had a nice response to our last article concerning the US Cent so we are adding a bit more. I hope you enjoy and we love to get feedback. You can e-mail me at coinstore@comcast.net or you can simply respond online. I hope the following is informative and enlightening.

The cent was made of pure copper from 1793 to 1837.

The cent was made of bronze from 1837 to 1857.

In 1857 the cent was mixed as an alloy of 88% copper and 12% nickel. This continued until 1864.

From 1864 to 1962 the coin was once again changed to bronze.

From 1962 to 1982, the cent's tin content was removed. This resulted in a composition of 95% copper and 5% zinc.

In 1982, the cent's composition was changed to 97.5% zinc and 2.5 % copper and this is what we now call the "clad penny."

Addendum: in 1943, the coin's composition was changed to zinc-coated steel. This change lasted for one year only and was created as a result of the critical use of copper during WWII.

I hope you have enjoyed these little facts and we will appreciate any information you may want to share. God Bless.. Jerry..

A Penny For Your Thoughts

I am seeking the numismatic expertise of members and readers of my blog relative to the US Penny. The penny as currency is pretty much worthless. The copper content of each coin is 1.3 times the value of the coin itself. Environmentalists are calling for a cessation of copper mining. Thus, the outcry to terminate the penny as currency is growing louder.

There are rumors the penny will no longer be minted after 2009. I knew I had a question in here someplace so here it is. Should I begin to buy common rolls of pennies to put back for my grandchildren? If the answer is yes, is there a “better” penny for me to invest in such as the solid copper penny? I have very few US coins and consequently, I am pretty much in the dark.

Please write me at coinstore@comcast.net and advise me if you will. Thank you very much for reading and please bookmark my site. By the way, I hope you like my penny photo.. God Bless.. Jerry..

Coin Photography: New Lighting Method

I have been working with my coin photography for a long time now and I have been working with lighting in particular. In recent days I have found a “new” method of lighting that I am very pleased with. The coin on the left was photographed using the new lighting technique.

I have a ceiling fan with a light kit attached in the room where I photograph my coins. I removed the light cover from the fan and inserted a fluorescent bulb in the mount and left the cover off. The copy stand I use is about six feet from the bulb. I have shot quite a few photographs over the past few days and I am very pleased with the results.

Of course, one could use wherever ceiling light fixture one has. Mine happens to be the fan with the light kit. Also, I have one window in the room that faces west and I do get some light through the window when I shoot during the day.

The color balance is good and I am very pleased to this point. I am shooting about f/8 at a very slow shutter speed. I have my camera pretty much locked down so I am not concerned with the shutter speed since I am shooting aperture priority. The depth of field seems to be fine. If interested, give it a try and let me know what you think and let me know what kind of results you get. Thank you for reading and God Bless.. Jerry..

Transition From The Ordinary To Art

The photograph above is of a "Star Gazer" my wife has. I shot the flower several times and made the decision I accomplished what I wanted with this photograph. I attempted to elevate the subject matter to something more than the ordinary. One could apply the term surreal. Look carefully and you begin to see imagery such as a sunrise and small animals. Also, remain loyal to your taste. I do not ask you to like, I only ask for you to appreciate. I believe it is incumbent on the artist to show his/her world to the viewer. I hope you enjoy.. God Bless.. Jerry..