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 Replies: 20 / Views: 9,238 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1454 Posts |
I've never had anything better than a cheap 4x magnifying glass and thought it was past time to upgrade. What's a good-sized loupe for examining minute coin and jewelry details (like hallmarks, small flaws, and such)? Also, what should I expect to pay?
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Moderator
 United States
14463 Posts |
I have a general purpose 10x loope. Other members will have to say if other powers are necessary for trying to identify errors, varieties, or Morgan VAMs.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4897 Posts |
imo, as far as details go....if you cannot see it with a 10x loupe it does not matter.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1949 Posts |
I agree, I have never needed anything stronger than a 10x loupe
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Moderator
United States
56855 Posts |
I use a 14x doublet and it works fine (for me). I paid about $5. If you can afford it a Hastings triplet is the way to go,around $50.I roll search cents for errors and varieties. John1  |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
1351 Posts |
Look on ebay and buy a selection from HK for a couple of $. You will be surprised. There are horses for course's. I use loupes,glasses,eye glasses,gizzmos with lights ETC. How can I say ?....you don't buy a screwdriver but a set. |
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Rest in Peace
United States
4078 Posts |
Quote:
a Hastings triplet is the way to go  made by Bausch & Lomb |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1454 Posts |
John1, I took your excellent advice on the Hastings and purchased that. I was going to buy a Bausch & Lomb, bpoc1, but then I noticed the BelOMO 10x Triplet Loupe. When I checked it out on Amazon, I saw that it had better overall reviews than the B&L, plus it was more affordable at $28 shipped. Now my only concern is that 10x will be too powerful and I'll have to turn around and buy a 5 or 7x, instead. Hopefully, it doesn't require much of a steady hand, since I couldn't find that trait when I checked in my genes. |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
Get a 10x loupe. That's what the TPG's use. Higher magnifications are OK, but they are increasingly difficult to use with higher magnifications, due to a very narrow depth of field. Some people are short sighted, and that's why they need corrective glasses at close range. 2x correction is typical, so in theory, if you take off your glasses, and use a 2x loupe, your eyes are no better off for looking at detail in sharp focus. For such people, higher power loupes, typically 2x more than for a person who does not need glasses, are an advantage, but bear in mind the difficulties of higher power loupes. |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
3692 Posts |
My Two Cents: get a corrected triplet loupe. I got a Peer 10x, and it's great for everything even gemstones. Will set you back $50-60 depending where you are. Look into some Chinese or otherwise cheaper sites online. To me, though, and this is just me, if you can't see the detail without a loupe then it's quite a small variation within tolerance. To mods: should this discussion take place in the Main Coin Forum? |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1554 Posts |
Naked eye for grading, a 5X to double check when doing so and a Harris 16X triplet for attributing VAM's and LC and etc. varieties. Edited by 1893S
01/17/2014 4:19 pm
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Moderator
United States
56855 Posts |
traevin, Is the triplet you bought a Hastings or something else? 1893S, I tried a 16x and the view was all distorted around the edge and the center view was a bit blurry. John1 |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10045 Posts |
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Higher magnifications are OK, but they are increasingly difficult to use with higher magnifications, due to a very narrow depth of field. Well put--and if you look at a lot of coins, get the best quality loupe you can. Quality optics are easier on the eyes and let you work more. I spend a lot of time looking for small details on coins such as overdates and doubled dies. I have jeweler's loupes, but I like my Peak 8X the best of all. It has a much better depth of field than diamond loupes--I use flipped over.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1554 Posts |
John1- you must of had a bogus 16X no distortion or blurring on mine. It works great, just takes time to learn how to use properly. I use mine almost daily..Check what's hanging around most dealers necks at coin shows, usually a Hastings 10X or 16X, they aren't hanging there for looks.
Edited by 1893S
01/17/2014 5:06 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1454 Posts |
John, This is the one I got. It's my first loupe so I hope it's OK. The stats are below. Lib, You were actually the guy I most wanted to hear from. I jumped the gun and made an impulse buy instead of waiting for your opinion. I'll look into the Peer as soon as I finish this reply. Loupe Magnifier - 10x Triplet Folding Loupe Magnifier - High Quality Imported BelOMO Lens (10x21mm with 17mm viewing area)by BelOMO 10x Magnification Power Large 0.65'' (17mm) Viewing Area Large 21mm(0.85'') Achromatic Triplet Lens Gathers Light for a Bright, Clear and Color Correct View Optical Quality Glass Lenses, each BelOMO loupe is certified just like a camera lens. Great for rocks, minerals, jewelery, coins, stamps, part inspection  |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
3692 Posts |
Glad to be of free service, lol. As long as what you see through the lens doesn't look distorted or rounded you're good. The best way to check for this is to get some grid paper and if the grid rounds up towards you it's a cheap lens. Baush & Lomb is just as good as any other good optics company. Look into who makes good high-end binoculars and it will translate into loupes if they make them.
When I'm working on something I use 4x (something called an Optivisor), or if I want to show a detail to a client (or anybody) I'll use a 3x lens (a larger lens to allow someone to look at an object without straining their eyes with a 10x, because most people will ask you how to use a loupe). 10x is for checking the final product, looking for imperfections, checking stampings, and checking for things that catch your eye at first glance.
Just avoid cheap optics. Dollar stores nay-nay.
Edited by Libertad
01/18/2014 7:18 pm
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Replies: 20 / Views: 9,238 |
Posted 01/14/2014 09:02 am
