Loupe For Beginner

While I agree with kookoox10 I would suggest a simple 10x doublet like the one Harris makes. You can pick one up for $10 or so. As you advance there will be plenty of time to buy a nice triplet or ever a microscope. I would suggest, as a beginner, you really learn the minting proess and stay tuned to CCF. These two things are way more important than the glass you use. IMHO

I have had cheap ones and expensive ones. The $2 ones from ebay do just as good job if you ask me.

I bought one of these. After I got it, I bought 5 more simple because they were so cheap. They're cheaper than the batteries they use! Best I've ever used. Nice light source. Spot on.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...%2Caps%2C360

I purchased Belomo Triplet Loupe. I bought one for myself years ago. Once I saw the difference I ordered one for the wife.
I purchased it from a Rock Hunter on the internet forgot the name of the site. It came with a adjustable lanyard.

I attach lanyard to my belt and place loupe in my pocket. Then when I observe articles jewelry, coins, rock, and gems I hang it around my neck.
It always goes with me and with a large magnet and small LED flashlight.
Have Fun enjoy life!

Stick with inexpensive, that way if it is wrong for you you are not out much cash. I just bought on e-bay an illuminated 30X loupe, but it must have a weird focal range because my 5-10-15X radio shack plastic one magnifies much more, the lighted one might get used for grading, it mags so little, but I am not out much money.

Go with at least a 50,000 X Electron Microscope. They are versitile in 1,000 X increments.
In reality I'd suggest going to either a flea market or Walmart. Purchase a variety of the cheaper ones in a variety of powers. Some start at about 3+ and go up, up, up. Same with cost. I say this due to many people spend a lot of money on famous brand items and then they just sit. Best mess around with a cheap one to see what YOU like, need or want.
I've picked up about 20 different types and sizes over the years at flea markets. I also purchased one of theose Microscopes you connect to a TV. Never used most of them and so far haven't even taken the Microscope out of the box.

the grid test is a goodway to quick check the quality of a lens before buying it, also look for the false colors mostly would be red, green/blue on a lens that is not apochromatic, usually seen at the edges and around hard contrast edges, or even on an apo marked lens that is poorly corrected or not an apo as described, no surprise some chinese optics are mislabled as being better than they really are.

Fortunately for me, and for a surprisingly large enough proportion of the population, my eyes have deteriorated by nearly the same amount.
For normal reading, the prescription for both lenses in my glasses is very nearly the same. Standard 2 dioptres, 500mm focal length, for both lenses, no other problems.
This is where the good fortune comes in. Using these as a standard comparison, I can buy cheap reading glasses for as little as $5.

DO NOT buy cheap glasses, if the prescription for your normal reading glasses varies, with respect of one lens to the other.

When I need to look at my coins in greater detail, I use cheap 4 dioptre lenses, 250mm focal length. Everything at +500mm looks blurry, but at 250mm the coins are in perfect eye range.
The advantage of binocular vision is retained, and leaves BOTH hands to hold the coins. I get 4x magnification at 250mm as well!

For really close up work, I use a 25mm focal length 10x triple element cloth examination glass. It has lenses about 30mm diameter, and has a depth of field of around 10mm. The great depth of field allows me to look at the whole of the coin, without ANY eyestrain, but with one eye only.

I also have a 20x triple element glass, but it has a very narrow depth of field. Not used for coins, but is excellent for the examination of internal flaws in natural gem material, especially emeralds. In this case, you want to look at the flaw only, not the whole gemstone. This glass could be used for examining altered dates and mintmarks.

Then again, there is nothing wrong with using a USB microscope, with pictures for ALL to see! Just takes a lot more setting up, than using hand held magnification.

For a beginner with good eyes, there is nothing wrong with using a 'squint' type loupe, similar to what the old time watchmakers used.
They can be bought from a gem cutting supplies dealer, for not much money. Look in the phone book for 'lapidarists supplies'. I use these for normal gemcutting work, when I am at work on my faceting machine.

You can use only one eye, but at least both of your hands are free.