Still Life

Camera: Nikon D300s. Lens: Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8

Isis was venerated first in Egypt. As per the Greek historian Herodotus writing in the fifth century BCE, Isis was the only goddess worshiped by all Egyptians alike and whose influence was so widespread by that point that she had become completely syncretic with the Greek goddess Demeter. It is after the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great and the Hellenization of the Egyptian culture initiated by Ptolemy I that she eventually became known as 'Queen of Heaven'. Lucius Apuleius confirmed this in his novel "The Golden Ass", in which his character prayed to the "Queen of Heaven". The passage says that the goddess herself responded to his prayer, in which she explicitly identified herself as both the Queen of Heaven and Isis. (Wikipedia).

A Table-top photograph of one of the range of hand-painted statuettes from the "Tudor Mint" Lands / Sorceress collection, featuring "Woodland Sorceress" from "Land of the Dragons". Camera: Nikon D300s Lens: Nikkor AF-S VR 70-200MM F2.8 IF ED II Flash: Nikon SB-400 (bounced)

A figurine of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun and his wife Ankhesenamun (who was also his half-sister) . Tutankhamun was a Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty (ruled c.1332 – 1323 BCE) during the period of Egyptian history known as the New Kingdom. He is popularly referred to as "King Tut". His original name, Tutankhaten, means "Living Image of Aten" while Tutankhamun means "Living Image of Amun". Photographed with a Sony RX100 camera and processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

An experimental "close-up" (not Macro) shot which took about 12 attempts to get right.....the shine and reflections make photographing coins like this very difficult. Camera Sony RX100 and processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

My second attempt at photographing Silver coins. Hand-held in diffuse daylight using a Sony RX100 compact camera and processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

In 2014 the British Royal Mint launched a new series of 1 ounce (31.103 grams) gold coins. The Shēngxiào Collection, inspired by centuries of tradition, begins with the first coin in the series created by artist Wuon-Gean Ho for the Lunar Year of the Horse. It features a dynamic horse design on the reverse that unites Chinese and British heritage, captured in fine 24K gold. Photographed with a Sony RX100 compact camera and processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

Freedom Girl is the first medallion in the Silver Bullet Silver Shield series done with full creative control given to American sculptress Heidi Wastweet. Heidi is known for her images of strong and beautiful women, most notably "Pandora Defiant". Now she has created a new beauty for a new generation. These coins are made from 1 Troy ounce of 99.999% pure silver and the 47 "bullets" in the design represent the element Silver, whose atomic number is 47 ("Silver Bullet" is also the name of the mint which produces these coins). The medieval Trivium design symbolizes the foundation for individual freedom from outside manipulation. These coins (A.K.A. "rounds" or "medallions" are not legal tender and have no "face value"....they are for collectors and investors in precious metals). Camera: Sony RX100

The reverse / rear of the "Veritas Lux Mea" silver "Round" / "Medallion" designed by American sculptress Heidi Wastweet, the first in her new Latin series (see previous photo). Photographed with a Sony RX100 compact camera and processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

This Silver "Round" was designed by American sculptress Heidi Wastweet, the first in her new Latin series. The inscription translates as "Truth Is My Light" or "Truth Enlightens Me". Photographed with a Sony RX100 compact camera and processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

The Mexican Libertad Silver Bullion Coins are struck annually for investors and collectors and were first minted in 1982. A winged angel design has been portrayed on the coin since its inception but a re-design occurred in 1996 to "make it more attractive" (according to the Mexican Mint). That design, which is still used today, depicts the spectacular Angel of Independence -- an eight ton golden statue on top of a tall slender column in Mexico City. The angel towers above a background of the volcanoes Popocatépetl and Iztaccihuatl. The obverse or "heads" side of the coin features an eagle battling a snake (Mexico's national coat of arms), which is surrounded by a wreath and the words "ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS". Encircling the center are ten eagle designs that have been used as National Emblems through the centuries, including one depicted in the 16th century Mendocino Codex. The Inscription surrounding the top includes the numerical size following by "ONZA" for "ounce", then "PLATA PURA" for "pure silver", the year of issue, "LEY" (Fine....the purity of the metal) and ".999" (i.e. 999 parts-per-thousand pure (Silver in this case, or Gold)).

The Mexican Libertad Silver Bullion Coins are struck annually for investors and collectors and were first minted in 1982. A winged angel design has been portrayed on the coin since its inception but a re-design occurred in 1996 to "make it more attractive" (according to the Mexican Mint). That design, which is still used today, depicts the spectacular Angel of Independence -- an eight ton golden statue on top of a tall slender column in Mexico City. The angel towers above a background of the volcanoes Popocatépetl and Iztaccihuatl. The obverse or heads side of the coin features an eagle battling a snake (Mexico's national coat of arms), which is surrounded by a wreath and the words "ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS". Encircling the center are ten eagle designs that have been used as National Emblems through the centuries, including one depicted in the 16th century Mendocino Codex. The Inscription surrounding the top includes the numerical size following by "ONZA" for "ounce", then "PLATA PURA" for "pure silver", the year of issue, "LEY" (Fine....the purity of the metal measured in "parts per thousand")) and ".999". The "O" above the "M" is the Mexican Mint mark (La Casa de Moneda de México).

"Sic Semper Tyrannis", one of the most infamous phrases in U.S. history, was shouted by John Wilkes Booth as he assassinated President Abraham Lincoln in 1865. This phrase (Latin for "thus always to tyrants") encircles the obverse of the newest "round" in the Silver Bullet Silver Shield series. This time it celebrates the overthrow of the Debt and Death paradigm. Here, Freedom Girl stands triumphant over Debt and Death. She holds a spear and a buckler shield emblazoned with the Trivium, both of which she used to slay Debt and Death who is portrayed with his five arrows from the Rothschild's family crest and the chains he used to enslave mankind. The slain foe lies on a pile of U.S. currency, one of his greatest tools in enslaving humanity. (Silver bullet, silver shield). Photographed with a Sony RX100 camera and processed with Nikon NX2 software.

"Freedom Girl" is the first medallion in the Silver Bullet Silver Shield series done with full creative control given to American sculptress Heidi Wastweet. Heidi is known for her images of strong and beautiful women, most notably "Pandora Defiant". Now she has created a new beauty for a new generation. Men have been known to fight to the death for women, treasure and freedom. Freedom Girl is a stunning combination of all three. Every aspect of Heidi's design brings out a gorgeous update of the classic Peace Dollar. The original Peace Dollar had her hair tied in a bun with an uncomfortable tiara perched on her head. Freedom Girl's hair is wild and free. Freedom Girl's parted lips and gaze of almost ecstasy looking forward to the future is so seductive, as Freedom should be. Even her shoulder arching forward brings out more emotion from this modern beauty. She is finished off with the modern cues of a hoop earring and a tattoo of the Trivium. (Edited & shortened extract from an article at The Numismatic Bibliomania Society) . This coin is created on the basis of the "Peace Dollar" which is regarded as one of the most beautiful coins in the world (struck by the U.S. mint after World War One to commemorate the "War to End All Wars"). These coins are made from 1 Troy ounce of 99.999% pure silver. The medieval Trivium design (on her shoulder) symbolizes the foundation for individual freedom from outside manipulation. These coins (A.K.A. "rounds" or "medallions") are not legal tender and have no "face value"....they are for collectors and investors in precious metals.

The "Mysteries of Wawel" coin from Crystal Art. Wawel is a fortified architectural complex erected over many centuries atop a limestone outcrop on the left bank of the Vistula river in Kraków, Poland, at an altitude of 228 metres above the sea level. The complex consists of many buildings and fortifications; the largest and best known of these are The Royal Castle and Wawel Cathedral which is the Basilica of St Stanisław and St Wacław. Some of the Wawel's oldest stone buildings such as the Rotunda of the Virgin Mary can be dated to 970AD. There are also wooden parts of the complex which date to about the 9th century. The castle itself has been described as "one of the most fascinating of all European castles." Wawel is a place of great significance to the Polish people: it first became a political power centre at the end of the first millennium AD and, in the 9th century, the principal fortified castrum of the Vistulans tribe. The first historical ruler Mieszko I of Poland of the Piast dynasty and his successors Boleslaw I the Brave and Mieszko II chose Wawel to be one of their residences. At the same time Wawel became one of the principal Polish centres of Christianity. The first early Romanesque buildings were erected there including a stone cathedral serving the bishopric of Kraków in the year 1000. From the reign of Casimir the Restorer Wawel became the leading political and administrative centre for the Polish State. This pure silver 2 Troy-ounce coin depicts the fairytale Wawel Castle in a high-relief "antiqued" finish with the face-value of 2 Dollars and a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. A different Red Agate crystal insert for each coin makes every coin unique. These coins are made by the Mint of Poland and issued by Niue Island (Approx. 800 miles East of Fiji, where they are legal tender) with an extremely limited mintage of just 999 pieces in the world. Camera Sony RX100: Processed with NIkon Capture NX2.

The 300 ft S.S. Gairsoppa was launched in 1919 by the British India Steam Navigation Company Ltd. of London, a company that got its start transporting mail between Calcutta and Rangoon. As World War II unfolded the United Kingdom enlisted the ship to help out with the war effort. Towards the beginning of the war (December of 1940), the ship was loaded full of supplies which included pig iron, tea and over 7 million ounces of silver in the form of ingots. Today the value of its cargo has been estimated at £150,000,000 and is believed to be one of the richest of any sunken vessel. On its trip from Calcutta to Britain the ship began to run low on fuel. It was forced to set a new course on the most direct route to port. As the ship headed towards the British Isles it was spotted by German aircraft which then relayed its position to a U-Boat which was in the area. The Gairsoppa was hit by a torpedo and later sunk on February 17, 1941, approximately 300 miles off the coast of Galway. Gairsoppa lay at a depth of some 2.9 miles (deeper even than the Titanic) on the bottom of the Atlantic for more than 70 years until it was finally recovered. In 2010 the British Government sought out the help of Florida-based Odyssey Marine Exploration to help locate the ship and try to recover the 110+ tons of precious silver. They succeeded in 2012 and ended up recovering nearly all of the sunken silver. After the success of their recovery the company decided to commemorate the ship and its rich history by producing a number of silver bars and coins minted with actual silver from the recovery. This is one of those coins. Camera Sony RX100: Processed with Nikon Capture NX2.

For the first time ever, the Pobjoy Mint has issued a Silver Angel struck in 99.9% pure silver. The coin's reverse features a sculpted image of St. Michael the Archangel battling a fierce dragon. This classic depiction of the triumph of Good over Evil appeared on the very first Pobjoy Angel coin in 1984 and was awarded the prestigious "Coin of the Year Award" for excellence. The obverse of this coin features the regal portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. This coin is Legal Tender on the Isle of Man. Photographed with a Sony RX100 camera. Processed with NIkon Capture NX2. "For over 600 years, Silver and Gold coins featuring Angels have been treasured by millions. Medieval kings and queens often bestowed Angel coins on worthy subjects and these coveted coins were believed by many to bring the bearer good luck, fortune and health. For centuries, stories of lucky Angel coins have abounded. Napoleon, King Henry VII, fighter pilots, seafarers, rescue and police heroes have testified to the Angel's powers of luck and protection. In 1984 a new British Angel series was established by the Isle of Man. This island-Nation within the British Commonwealth commissioned the world-renowned Pobjoy Mint in London to strike the modern Angel coin series. The Pobjoy Mint is one of the oldest and most respected private mints in the world and the design that they created for the Angel series immediately garnered a Coin of the Year award in it's very first year. Since 1984 an exciting array of Angel coins have been struck in Gold, Silver and Platinum. The Angel series has become one of the most popular collector-coin series in the entire world". (The Silver Angel Coin official collector's guide).

A 22K Gold Bahamas $100 commemorative coin issued to celebrate the independence of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas. This coin is unusual due to the fact that it displays two dates.....1975 (the year of issue) and on the other face is the date 1973 (the year of independence) below the Queen's portrait. The Bahamas became a British Crown colony in 1718 when Britain clamped down on piracy. After the American War of Independence, thousands of American Loyalists (taking their enslaved Africans with them) moved to the Bahamas where the Americans set up a plantation economy. After Britain abolished the international slave trade in 1807, the Royal Navy resettled many free Africans (liberated from illegal slave ships) in the Bahamas during the 19th century. Hundreds of American slaves and Black Seminoles escaped to the islands from Florida and nearly 500 were freed from American merchant ships by the Royal Navy. The Bahamas became an independent Commonwealth Realm in 1973, retaining Queen Elizabeth II as it's monarch. (Wikipedia). Camera Sony RX100. Processing with Nikon Capture NX2.