The Mussolini token illustration in last week's E-Sylum, which Editor Wayne stated was intact and could not be oriented correctly, brought to mind the task of orientation. The human mindcraves correct visual perspective, everything on the level.

This is particularly so for round coins and medals which can easily be rotated out of sync. Photographers often rotate an object for better light and shadows (light from above as if the sun wasshining on it). So we cannot rely on the photographer for accurate orientation - the photo must be corrected in preparation for publishing.

Each side of the Mussolini token gives easy clues. The reverse, shown on the left, shows a ground line the horse is standing on, an ideal horizontal requirement. The obverse has three clues: thefigures of the date should be level, the eyes should be on the same plane, and the legend begins and ends on the same horizontal point.

Here are some tips identifying both horizontal and vertical clues:

• Lettering and figures generally are horizontal.
• Exceptions: legends, arc and undulating baselines of lettering.
• Exergues, ground lines, baselines, skylines are horizontal.
• First and last letter of legends generally end on the same level point.
• Ends of half wreaths begin and end on the same level point.
• Eyes in a portrait are generally on the same level.
• Cartouches are always level horizontally.
• Compass points are both horizontal and vertical.
• Sides of buildings are vertical.
• Smokestacks, columns, candles, caduceus are vertical.
• Anything horizontal or vertical in nature must be shown likewise on a numismatic design.

Having said that, when the rules are broken, an artist may create a design in mixed perspective by artistic license.

Dick adds:

Caveat #1: On eBay, some people express a preference for (or insistence on) unretouched photos, so that "what you see is what you get". Not even cropping, adjustment ofbrightness, contrast or colour_tone (so if the lighting shows a silver coin as golden you leave it as it is!), and I'm thinking this would apply to rotation also. I don't totally agree withthis, but ...

Caveat #2: What if you are trying to portray the effect of a "rotated die"?

Caveat #3: Ignore the eyes if there are any clues to suppose that the person is doing anything other than looking ahead while standing or sitting, with the viewer (camera or artist) at thesubject's eye level.

Caveat #4: Horizontal/vertical lines in the picture (building sides, windows, doors, ground, exergue) and horizontal/vertical text & graphic lines would generally take precedence, wherethere is a clash. Note the word "generally!".

These designs (all from The Netherlands) are somewhat misleading:

Example #1: The graphic lines are vertical, and the text sideways.

Example #2: The best clue is the "initial mark" (crown at top-dead-centre).

Example #3: "NEDERLAND" is balanced at 0.5 degrees clockwise, while the flag is "right" at 8.5 degrees clockwise. And the stars around the edge are balanced and uprightwith no rotation!

Example #4: Again, the graphic lines are vertical, and the text sideways - but the date is skew!

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
NUMISMATIC NUGGETS: FEBRUARY 18, 2018 : NUMISMATIC NUGGETS: FEBRUARY 18, 2018(http://www.coinbooks.org/v21/esylum_v21n07a22.html)
VOCABULARY TERMS: DIE ALIGNMENT, ROTATED DIE (http://www.coinbooks.org/v21/esylum_v21n05a15.html)