How to Write Alt Text for a Sobriety Coin Photo
A photo of a coin can show the Roman numeral, the colors and which side faces up. Someone using a screen reader needs the details that matter for the task. Start by asking whether the image is there to identify the coin, explain an inscription or open a product page.
Read the photo before writing
Open the image at a size that lets you read the center. Check whether you are looking at the front or back, and whether the photo actually shows the feature your paragraph discusses. If the center reads IX, you can describe a nine-year sample. If it is blurred or hidden by glare, leave the numeral out and consider taking a clearer photo.
Choose words that help identify the item. “Crimson AA medallion with a gold-colored triangle and IX at the center” describes a specific photo. “Beautiful recovery gift” gives the reader almost nothing to identify. Describe the color as it appears. A gold-colored border in a photograph alone does not establish what the border is made from.
If the article discusses the mark itself, explain its significance in the surrounding copy. Our guide to what AA chips represent provides background. The alt text can stay focused on what is visible.
Check what happens when the reader clicks
A photo on a product card may be a link separate from the product name underneath. If the photo is the link’s only content, the alt text gives the link its accessible name. Use enough of the product name or distinguishing detail that a person can tell which page it opens. For example, “Crimson Topaz AA medallion with a sample one-year center” identifies the design and the photo.
The W3C images tutorial separates informative, decorative and functional images. If one link wraps both a photo and a full product name, and the image adds no useful information, an empty alt attribute can avoid reading the same label twice. If the numeral or reverse inscription is why the photo is there, include that information in the text or its alternative.
Check each linked photo on a phone, then read the link names in order with a screen reader if you use one. Two links both called “click here” are hard to distinguish when heard out of context.
Keep purchase options and privacy in view
A catalog photo can show a sample even when many milestones share the same listing. Write “sample” when the visible numeral could be mistaken for the selected year. Put the actual milestone options in adjacent text or tell readers where to find the selector. Keep that distinction clear when bringing a personal coin to an anniversary meeting.
Before publishing a reader’s photo, ask about both the image and its description. An inscription can identify someone even if their face is outside the frame. Our coin photography privacy guide covers what to check before sharing a picture.
If the photo goes in an exhibit rather than a product card, use a display label for known dates and context. Alt text can describe the picture while the label carries the evidence. The two can work together without repeating every word.
Give the final image and description to someone who hasn't seen the page. Ask which design they would expect to open and what year the photo shows. If their answer differs from yours, revise the few words that caused the confusion.
Medallions to consider
These catalog examples show how a short description can identify the design and still distinguish a pictured sample from the milestone selected at checkout.
Both photos show one-year samples. Use the Sobriety Time selector to check the milestone you want.
Tricolor Enchanted Crimson Topaz Sparkle
Elite design with a crimson face and a triangle set with stones.
Common questions
Should alt text list every word on a coin?
Include the words needed for the image’s purpose. If you are showing the full inscription, put an accurate transcription in nearby text where everyone can read it.
Can I use the product title alone?
A clear title may identify a linked product. Add the visible feature if the reader needs it to understand why that photo was chosen.
Keep reading
Compare designs and milestone options in Elite Medallions and Deluxe Coins.
