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 Replies: 13 / Views: 1,615 |
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Valued Member
United States
172 Posts |
Let's face it - coins are small and we all need magnifiers. I'd love to know what magnifiers the community recommends. I couldn't live without the B&L 7x loupe I've had for 40 years. It's perfect when I need to look at about 10 coins but I've found that my eyes start to fatigue after about 50 coins or so. Some of you poor devils must have to stare at coins all day. ;-) I've seen some folks recommend binocular magnifiers, including stereo microscopes and the flip down headbands that many jewelers wear. How important is binocular vision for seeing coin details? The loupes that get laid on top of flat items like film negatives seem like they would work well and be pretty convenient. What would you use if you were going to search 1000 coins for die varieties? Built-in illumination seems like a desirable feature but most of the illuminated magnifiers I've seen have been of the imported garbage variety. I bought a cheap digital microscope about a year ago but I'm not happy with the resolution but maybe I picked the wrong one. So what types of magnification do you like and why? Thanks in advance...
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Pillar of the Community
United States
745 Posts |
magnification of 10x - 15x gives great details & shows errors too
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Moderator
 United States
56855 Posts |
I use a 14x doublet and like it a lot. I started out with a 10x many years ago and it was good until I got older as did my eyes  . I have tried a 16x and a 30x and do not recommend those. I do recommend a Hastings triplet if you have the money, they cost a bit. I use a usb microscope for close up viewing and to take photos to post here. Lighting is very important too, what is your lighting set up? John1  |
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
585 Posts |
Quote:
I bought a cheap digital microscope about a year ago but I'm not happy with the resolution  By an expensive one  |
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Valued Member
 United States
172 Posts |
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Lighting is very important too, what is your lighting set up? My USB digital microscope has LEDs in it, which isn't very flexible for photography, but is relatively effective because the sensor can't block the light when it moves in close. I know coin photography is an entirely different subject, but your post made me start thinking about whether a good photographic setup could be used for viewing without photographing. I suppose that's what we're doing anytime we use a digital microscope just for viewing. Quote:
By an expensive one I know that was a joke but it also might be the best solution. I don't want to throw good money after bad though. Can anyone recommend a specific model? Are any of you using a digital microscope instead of a loupe? How's it working out for you? Do you leave it attached to a stand or use it handheld? |
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Valued Member
United States
172 Posts |
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Rest in Peace
United States
9104 Posts |
 , RogerRamjet! |
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Rest in Peace
United States
9104 Posts |
10x is the standard for diamonds, FWIW.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
RogerRamjet I suggest investing in one of those Electon Microscopes. Why settle for simple magnifications when you can see how it was made? Why not look into the atomic structure of your coins? At 50,000 power all that is so clear. In reality I've purchased about 20 different types of magnifyers from flea markets and happy with them all. Everything from 2X to about 50X. I do have a few microscopes but so far never tried one on coins. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1554 Posts |
5 to 10X depending on you reasons for use. I don't recomend them for Grading Morgans or Peace dollars. It's best to use the naked eye for the overall grading purposes except to check for Coin Altering and such on Dollar Coins. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10045 Posts |
Imo, you can't go wrong with a B&L 8X or 10X duplex loupe. These are high-quality optics that will minimize eye-strain. Those "watchmaker's loupes" don't have the same quality optics of a B&L duplex diamond loupe. Myself, I use a compact 10X jeweler's loupe to bring to shows; I use the 8X Peak loupe below @ home because it has the best "eye relief", ie focal range when viewing small details on coins. My opinion from using loupes for both cut gems and coins: avoid loupes over 10X for coins. These are made for studying facet junctions on small cut gems like diamonds--details smaller than most viewed on coins. If you need more magnification, I would suggest a digital scope or a stereo optical scope. I have not tried the binocular headpieces, but many gemologists use them. I am spoiled with a Zeiss lab-grade binocular scope I found for just $200 on Craigslist. I use the hand-lens below for scanning groups of coins.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1554 Posts |
DVC...Now that's some nice stuff you have...perfect
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
902 Posts |
5X for grading & the more powerful the better for looking at varieties.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9792 Posts |
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just carl: I suggest investing in one of those Electon Microscopes. Why settle for simple magnifications when you can see how it was made? Why not look into the atomic structure of your coins? At 50,000 power all that is so clear. I've actually used an electron microscope, tough part about it was time it takes to get the positioning, as it was not a live view method (back in the 80's before digital photography hit the masses). 10,000 - 50,000 x is pretty cool, but not for coins you would only need around 200-2000x to show the flow lines on the metal, they look like water ripples on a smooth pond. Somewhere I have a couple of small prints of an added D mint mark to a 1916 dime, unfortunately I can't find them anymore. The photos showed the D to have a small seam the scan was done about 45 degrees from the MM and it looked like a B&W photo of a huge mesa in the Arizona desert, the flow lines changed directions as soon as they came into contact with the MM proving it was a super well done forgery. Very cool, If I ever find the photos I'll post them. They were small only about the size of a business card or a little larger. I only got to watch the process, and on that scanning microscope you did not look through it, the optical path ended up on an imaging super cooled sensor (liquid nitrogen, if I remember correctly). For my coin use I favor the Bausch & Lomb triplet APO 7x (because I can see the entire 2¢ coin at once. For real details I switch to 10x or 40x the 40x is a mini microscope made by Panasonic, made in the 1980's for stamp collectors, now days of course they are all digital, USB scopes, which I also own and use once in awhile. My stereoscope gets the most use however, as it is so comfortable to use. 7x through 20x is plenty for most everything I need to look at. When dealing with a lot of coins like roll searching a light/magnifier on a stand like ones found at office supply stores work well and keep you from having too much fatigue over a few hours. I have a real old one with a glass element instead of the newer plastic ones do. "Buy the Book Before You Buy the Coin" - Aaron R. Feldman - "And read it" - Me 2013! ANA Life Member #3288 in good standing since 1981, ANS, Early American Coppers Member (EAC), Colonial Coin Collectors Club member (C4), Conder Token Collector Club member (CTCC), Civil War Token Society (CWTS) member, Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC) & Numismatic Bibliomania Society member (NBS), USMex, Member in good standing, 2¢ variety collector. See my want page: http://goccf.com/t/140440 |
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Replies: 13 / Views: 1,615 |
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Posted 01/21/2012 05:52 am
