Express Your Self(ie)

June 18th, 2024
Last updated: June 6th, 2024

We’ve all heard the expression “let’s take a selfie!” at one point or another. This phrase has become as common as “a roll of the dice” or “don’t judge a book by its cover” – perhaps even more!

While Millennials took the art of the selfie and made it their own, Gen Z has mastered the electronic self-portrait. Of course, this isn’t to say that Gen X or Baby Boomers don’t enjoy taking selfies as well. There are an estimated 93 million selfies taken every day with the average person taking 450 selfies a year. That’s a lot of pictures!

But who took the first selfie? And where do all those pictures go? Look into these questions and more as we prepare for National Selfie Day 2024!

Keep Calm & Take a Selfie

While the cool autumn sun shone down, a man stood alone in his yard in Philadelphia, a city of innovation. The city had already witnessed pivotal changes in American history like the birth of a revolution and the founding of the nation’s coinage.

America's 250th Set - Littleton Coin Blog

In the autumn of 1839, this impressive city watched as yet another historic moment for mankind took place.

The first selfie.

This self-portrait – taken a whooping 185 years ago – by Robert Cornelius was not as easily taken then as it is today. With the help of modern technology, we can take hundreds of pictures in a matter of minutes. Unfortunately for Robert, this was not his experience. Aside from all the preparation that was required to take the picture, he had to stand still for up to 15 minutes!

Today the first selfie, along with Robert’s other work, can be found in the Library of Congress.

It would take over 160 years for the word “selfie” to be coined by a man in Australia, who uploaded the picture onto the Internet after a night out in 2002. In 2013 – 11 years after its first use – the popular term would be added to the Oxford Dictionary as the word of the year. To commemorate the word’s official status, National Selfie Day was created the following year. Since 2014, selfie day has been celebrated on June 21.

But First… a Selfie

Selfies can be taken anywhere at any time for any reason. It’s almost customary at this point to snap a picture before any big event like graduations, birthdays, weddings or an anniversary dinner. But those aren’t the only times a selfie might be taken – something that social media sites can attest to. In fact, it’s estimated that over 60% of people in the United States alone have taken a selfie at some point in their lives!

The 21^st century’s version of the self-portrait are taken all over the world on a daily basis. Places like Paris’ Eiffel Tower, Florida’s Disney World and London’s Big Ben are consistently in the top 5 places in the world to take selfies! But you don’t have to go globe-trotting in order to capture the perfect picture. Whether it’s at your local coin show, in your backyard or with your pet, you can make the most of the moment by snapping a picture this upcoming selfie day.

In fact, a quick Internet search will reveal all sorts of tips and tricks to take the perfect shot!

While there are lots of suggestions on how to make the most of your phone’s camera, the three big tips it comes down to are:

Find good lighting – just like Robert Cornelius did all those years ago, find soft lighting to take your picture as opposed to overpowering sunlight.
Look for your best angle – try lifting your phone above your head and tilting it down before taking the shot to avoid unflattering positions.
Check out your surroundings – whether you’re getting ready to capture a moment in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa or the flowers in your garden, make sure that nothing in your backdrop is amiss.

Believe in Yourself(ie)

Of course, once you’ve taken a selfie or two… or ten… what do you do with it? Well if you’re like most people in the world, you’ll probably end up posting it to at least one social media platform.

Sometimes though you take a picture that is so good, it feels like it should be framed and placed right next to the Mona Lisa… or at least put on display. While we can’t put your picture in the Louvre for you, we can help you show it off!

With our Custom Coins & Currency options, you’ll be able to proudly show off that picture perfect moment for all to see – or, even better, gift your smiling face to someone special!

This June, celebrate 10 years of selfie day! Choose from a variety of coins or currency to create your own masterpiece. Whether you choose an American Silver Eagle, $2 Federal Reserve Note or Showpak®, on National Selfie Day 2024, you’ll stand above the rest!

Or if you love Littleton Coin Company as much as we do – take a selfie with your Showcase to show us where you’ve been and then send it to us to be featured in an upcoming catalog! Need a catalog? Request a copy of the Hard to Find, Showcase or both on our website!

Where have you taken your favorite selfie? What coin, currency or showpak holder will you be putting it on for National Selfie Day 2024? Let us know in the comments below!