COIN IMAGING FORMAT: NUTILT

David Lawrence Rare Coins (DLRC) and nuTilt Imaging are excited to introduce a brand-new imaging technology to the hobby of numismatics. NuTilt is a patent-pending process that brings coin imaging to life! The limitation of coin images today is that they are static; nuTilt breaks this barrier, showing how the light catches all areas of a coin just like it does when you tilt it in your palm.

According to John Brush, President of DLRC, "In a world where static images can only go so far, the next frontier in imaging technology is to experience the look of a coin as if it is in your hand. Between the coin industry adjusting to life without large gatherings, and the cultural expansion of interest in digital immersion, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to fill a need for the hobby while modernizing the art of collecting." Brush continues, "As a service to collectors, adding nuTilt to the DLRC website was a no-brainer."

With the revolutionary iOS and Android smartphone apps, launching in September, the user can tilt their phone or tablet in any direction to capture the "in-hand" full virtual experience. Additionally, the zoom feature allows the user to inspect all parts of the coin to a degree of detail not possible with a static image. According to Jason Smith, Vice President of DLRC, "We are excited to launch nuTilt imaging exclusively to DLRC customers over the coming months. We have always strived to give our customers the best possible images available to help them make the most informed buying decisions. Partnering with nuTilt is another advanced step in this direction. The nuTilt process sheds light on detail and accuracy never achieved before."

The technology was dreamed up by Paul Price, a programmer and collector, over the past decade. After years of experimenting, new developments in mobile phones and computers have allowed the pieces to finally fit together with the launch of this software. According to Price, "Partnering with DLRC was perfect fit for nuTilt. With their focus on working with the collector, bringing innovation to the hobby, and a reputation of honesty and integrity amongst their customer base, it became very clear that they were the right folks to work with." Price continues, "While there is still so much more that we think is possible with nuTilt, we're excited to finally start bringing coins to "life".

At this time, nuTilt imaging will be exclusively used through the DLRC and nuTilt websites, with the ultimate goal of making the technology available to collectors in 2021. If you are looking to sell your coins and would like to have them imaged with nuTilt, please contact DLRC at coins@davidlawrence.com.

The nuTilt image is an animated .gif of the coin being tilted like you would do with it in your hand to see light reflection from multiple angles. With silver dollars, it's how you see the "cartwheel effect" generated by flow lines. Len Augsburger told me Heritage had something similar on their site a few years ago.

The nuTilt smartphone app should be an even better option for coin viewing, since it would be interactive. If I understand this correctly, your device's accelerometer would tell the app how your phone is tilted, and it can adjust the photo accordingly, creating a close-to-real-life coin viewing experience that responds to how you're holding the virtual coin.

Of course, it's still an artificial experience, but a more immersive and information-rich one. Much still depends on the skill of the photographer to light the coin. Maybe controlling the lighting is part of their process, and perhaps that will be an adjustable feature in the future.

Every new technology runs the risk of becoming the hot fad for a moment then disappearing from view. But I think this concept has legs and will be a direction we'll see the hobby heading toward. As with nearly every new technology it's expensive at first, so you'll only see this being used with higher-valued coins. Time will tell if its use becomes more ubiquitous. Follow the links below to view a few coins in the nuTilt format.

Without the app these images come up in an "Auto Swirling" format. Staring too long could give some people a headache. But just toggle the Auto Swirling button at the top to stop and restart the motion. This is a better viewing experience and will become natural on a smartphone where the tilt of your hand will translate to the tilt of the image. Check it out and let us know what you think. -Editor

To view some coins in the nuTilt format, see:
1840 Large Cent (https://www.davidlawrence.com/tiltview.html?cert_id=36087810&referrer_id=dl)
1858 Flying Eagle Cent (https://www.davidlawrence.com/tiltview.html?cert_id=36658470&referrer_id=dl)
1877 Proof Shield Nickel (https://www.davidlawrence.com/tiltview.html?cert_id=38002667&referrer_id=dl)
1805 Quarter (https://www.davidlawrence.com/tiltview.html?cert_id=36607405&referrer_id=dl)
1864 Quarter (https://www.davidlawrence.com/tiltview.html?cert_id=24809419&referrer_id=dl)

To read the complete article, see:
Introducing nuTilt! (https://blog.davidlawrence.com/introducing-nutilt/)