How to Photograph the Luster on 18 mm Medalets Circa 1860–1885: A Numismatic Photography Masterclass in Axial Lighting, Macro Technique, and Capturing Cartwheel Luster

Let me be blunt: a bad photo can make a $1,000 coin look like pocket change. I’ve seen it happen more times than I can count, and it always stings — especially when the piece in question is something as historically rich as an 18 mm Lincoln medallet from the 1860s. Here’s how to properly light and capture the true essence of these remarkable little pieces.

I’ve spent years behind the lens documenting 18 mm medalets struck by the US Mint, William Key, and George Soley. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that photographing these tiny bronze pieces is among the most rewarding — and technically demanding — challenges in all of numismatic photography. After grading and shooting hundreds of these diminutive medals, I can tell you that the gap between a forgettable snapshot and a museum-quality image comes down to four things: axial lighting, macro technique, capturing cartwheel luster, and rendering natural color faithfully. Let me walk you through each one, using the fascinating world of 18 mm Lincoln and Broken Column medalets as our case study.

Why 18 mm Medalets Deserve Serious Photographic Attention

I’m currently deep into a comprehensive study of 18 mm medalets from the US Mint, William Key, and George Soley. So far I’ve identified around 150 varieties — and the project keeps growing. These small bronze pieces — many bearing Lincoln portraits paired with the iconic Broken Column reverse — represent a rich but woefully underexplored corner of American numismatic history.

The challenge is real. Many similar dies were struck in numerous combinations, making accurate identification and careful documentation absolutely essential. Get the photography wrong, and you risk misidentifying a piece that could be quite rare.

One collector recently sent me an example that turned out to be a 20th-century restrike — Julian-listed variety PR-38 — paired with a Broken Column reverse. That matters. At least four other Lincoln dies are known to have been paired with that same reverse, but this particular pairing is the only one I’ve encountered on 20th-century restrikes. Julian also lists PR-37 as a variety with an incuse “P” on Lincoln’s truncation, though I’m confident that variety doesn’t actually exist — one of the few errors in an otherwise excellent reference work.

These nuances matter enormously. A restrike versus an original can mean the difference between a common piece and a serious rarity. Your photographic evidence needs to support that distinction convincingly — and that’s exactly what the right technique can do.

The Four Pillars of Numismatic Photography for Small Medalets

1. Axial Lighting: Revealing What the Naked Eye Misses

If I had to pick one technique to teach a fellow collector, it would be this. Axial lighting is the single most important tool for photographing small medalets like these 18 mm pieces. The principle is straightforward — you position your light source as close to the lens axis as possible — but the execution demands patience and a willingness to experiment.

Here’s why it matters so much for these specific medalets: the originals were struck with reflective, proof-like surfaces. The fields should show a mirror-like quality that catches light uniformly. Restrikes, by contrast, typically display matte or “pebbly” surfaces. In extreme cases, the recessed areas in the fields of restrikes trap dirt and grime, and that texture becomes clearly visible when axial lighting is properly applied. It’s one of the most reliable ways to tell an original from a restrike — and your camera needs to capture it.

My recommended axial lighting setup:

• Use a fiber optic light ring or a collimated light source positioned at 0° to the coin surface
• Mount your camera directly above the medallet, with the light source as close to the optical axis as physically possible
• For 18 mm pieces, you’ll be working at close range — a macro lens is essentially mandatory
• Experiment with slight deviations from true axial (2–5° off-axis) to bring out surface texture differences between original proof-like strikes and matte restrikes

When I photograph Lincoln Broken Column pieces, I always start with pure axial lighting to establish the baseline surface quality. Then I gradually introduce slight off-axis elements to reveal the texture differences that distinguish originals from 20th-century restrikes. It’s a subtle process, but the results speak for themselves.

2. Macro Photography: Getting Close Enough to See What Matters

At just 18 mm in diameter, these medalets demand serious macro work. A standard lens or a phone camera simply won’t capture the die details that matter for identification. I’ve examined dozens of these pieces under magnification, and the die varieties — subtle differences in portrait style, letter positioning, and reverse design elements — are often only visible at 2x to 5x magnification.

My macro photography recommendations for 18 mm medalets:

1. Use a dedicated macro lens (100mm or 105mm is ideal) for comfortable working distance and minimal distortion
2. Shoot at f/5.6 to f/8 for optimal sharpness across such a small subject
3. Use a sturdy copy stand or tripod — at macro distances, even your breathing causes visible blur
4. Focus stack whenever possible: take 10–20 images at slightly different focus points and merge them in post
5. Include a scale reference in at least one shot, especially for publication or catalog purposes

The goal is to produce images where individual die striations, strike quality, and surface texture are all clearly visible. For the Broken Column reverse in particular, the column details and surrounding lettering need to be crisp and well-lit. That level of detail is what separates documentation from mere decoration.

3. Capturing Cartwheel Luster on Small Bronze Pieces

Cartwheel luster — that characteristic rolling play of light across a coin’s surface as you tilt it — is one of the most beautiful and diagnostic features of a well-struck bronze medallet. On an 18 mm piece, capturing this effect photographically is extremely challenging. But it’s absolutely essential for accurate representation, and it speaks directly to a piece’s eye appeal and collectibility.

Here’s the technique I’ve refined over years of photographing these pieces:

• Multi-angle shooting: Capture the medallet at 5–7 different tilt angles, from fully face-on to about 15° off-axis. This simulates the “roll” you see when examining a piece in hand.
• Controlled light source: Use a single, relatively small light source rather than a broad diffused panel. Sharp highlights are what define cartwheel luster.
• Dark background: A dark, non-reflective background makes the luster “pop” in the final image.
• Video option: Consider shooting a short clip where you slowly tilt the medallet under the light. This is often the best way to show cartwheel luster to remote viewers or for online listings where still images fall short.

On original proof-like Lincoln medalets, the cartwheel luster should be dramatic and mirror-like. On matte restrikes, the light play will be more subdued and textured. This difference, when captured properly, is one of the most reliable visual indicators of original versus restrike status — and it’s the kind of detail that can significantly affect numismatic value.

4. Showing Natural Color: The Beige Problem

This is where I see most numismatic photographers stumble, and it’s especially critical for bronze Lincoln medalets. As I noted when examining that PR-38 restrike, “That’s the typical color for restrikes. In my head I call it sort of beige.” The originals are much darker — a rich, deep brown that reflects their age and the original striking conditions.

Getting the color right matters for several practical reasons:

• Color is one of the primary visual cues for distinguishing originals from restrikes
• Accurate color representation builds trust with buyers, researchers, and fellow collectors
• Natural patina shows the true beauty of the bronze and conveys the piece’s genuine character

My color accuracy workflow:

1. Shoot in RAW format — never JPEG for numismatic photography
2. Use a color checker card (like an X-Rite ColorChecker) in at least one frame of your shooting session
3. Set your white balance manually using a gray card under your specific lighting setup
4. In post-processing, use the color checker profile to ensure accurate color reproduction
5. Avoid over-saturating — bronze medalets have subtle, muted tones that should be preserved
6. Compare your final images to the actual piece under natural daylight before publishing

That “beige” tone of 20th-century restrikes versus the deep brown of originals is a critical diagnostic feature. If your photography flattens everything into the same warm tone, you’ve lost valuable information — and potentially misrepresented the piece.

Practical Tips for Photographing Your 18 mm Medalets

Whether you’re documenting your collection for insurance purposes, sharing images with researchers like myself, or selling pieces online, these practical tips will elevate your numismatic photography considerably.

Presentation and Background

• Use a clean, neutral background — black velvet or dark gray card stock works beautifully for bronze pieces
• Handle medalets with clean cotton gloves to avoid fingerprints on those reflective surfaces
• Clean the piece gently if needed, but never polish or alter the surface — you’ll destroy both patina and numismatic value
• For 18 mm pieces, consider using a small pedestal or museum putty to hold the medallet upright for edge shots

Lighting Equipment on a Budget

You don’t need a professional studio to get excellent results. Here’s a budget-friendly setup that works remarkably well for small medalets:

1. Two gooseneck LED desk lamps with adjustable color temperature (5000–5500K for daylight balance)
2. A sheet of acrylic or glass to create a simple axial lighting setup — position the light behind a 45° glass sheet with the camera looking through it
3. A small light tent or DIY diffusion box for even, shadow-free lighting when needed
4. A smartphone macro lens attachment — surprisingly effective for quick documentation in the field

What to Capture: The Essential Shot List

For each 18 mm medallet in your collection, I recommend capturing these views:

• Obverse, face-on: Full detail of the portrait and inscriptions
• Reverse, face-on: Full detail of the design — Broken Column or otherwise
• Edge view: Shows thickness, any edge markings, and overall striking quality
• Oblique angle (15–20°): Reveals surface texture and luster quality
• Cartwheel sequence: 3–5 shots at different tilt angles showing light play across the fields
• Detail crops: Close-ups of mint marks, die features, and any notable characteristics
• Color reference: One shot with a color checker or gray card for accurate color calibration

The Research Value of Good Photography

This project of cataloging 18 mm medalets is a case where, as I often tell fellow researchers, “I don’t know what I don’t know.” There are likely die varieties and pairings that haven’t been documented yet. Good photography is essential to this kind of work because it enables remote collaboration — collectors from around the world can share images and contribute to the study without shipping fragile pieces across the country.

If you have examples of 18 mm medalets in your collection, I strongly encourage you to photograph them using the techniques described above and share the images. Even if you’re not sure what you have, a well-lit, sharp, color-accurate photograph can reveal details that make identification possible. As one collector discovered, a piece bought on a whim a decade ago turned out to be a documented Julian variety — but it took careful photographic analysis to confirm the match. That kind of find is what makes this work so deeply satisfying.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

In my years of reviewing numismatic photographs, I see the same mistakes again and again. Here are the most damaging ones and how to avoid them:

1. Over-lighting: Too much light washes out surface detail and makes everything look the same. Use the minimum light necessary to show genuine detail.
2. Poor focus: At 18 mm, depth of field is razor-thin. Always use a tripod and seriously consider focus stacking.
3. Inaccurate color: Auto white balance and JPEG compression destroy the subtle color differences that matter enormously for bronze pieces.
4. Ignoring surface texture: The difference between proof-like and matte surfaces is critical for these medalets. Your lighting must reveal it clearly.
5. No scale reference: Always include a ruler or known-size reference in at least one shot. Future researchers will thank you.
6. Busy backgrounds: A cluttered background distracts from the medallet. Keep it simple, neutral, and let the coin speak.

Conclusion: Preserving History Through the Lens

The 18 mm medalets of the US Mint, William Key, and George Soley represent a fascinating and under-documented chapter in American numismatic history. From the Lincoln portrait pieces to the evocative Broken Column reverses, these tiny bronze medals carry stories of 19th-century minting practices, die varieties, and the complex relationship between originals and restrikes that continued well into the 20th century.

Photographing these pieces properly — with axial lighting to reveal surface quality, macro technique to capture die details, careful attention to cartwheel luster, and accurate color reproduction — is not just an aesthetic exercise. It’s a form of preservation. Every well-documented image contributes to the collective knowledge of these pieces and helps future collectors and researchers identify, authenticate, and appreciate them. Provenance starts with documentation, and documentation starts with a good photograph.

Whether you’re a seasoned collector with a cabinet full of medalets or someone who just discovered an interesting small bronze piece in an old collection, I encourage you to invest the time in photographing it properly. The techniques I’ve outlined here — axial lighting, macro photography, cartwheel luster capture, and faithful color reproduction — will transform your numismatic photography. More importantly, they’ll ensure that the true beauty and historical significance of these remarkable 18 mm pieces is preserved for generations of collectors and historians to come.

If you have 18 mm medalets in your collection and would like to share photographs for research purposes, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Every new image has the potential to reveal a previously unknown die variety or pairing — and that’s what makes this work so exciting.

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