New Member From Eugene, Or. Looking For Advice/ Guidance

Hello all,

I recently decided to start going through my collection of US pocket change which has grown to be 60.5 lbs in a 5 gal water bottle. I also have a collection of Euro coins.

I have spent many hours so far sorting and organizing the coins. The Euro collection starts in late 90's and goes through 2020. The US coins so far range from a 1944 Wheat penny to present day, but still have a few to sort through.

I find it's extremely time consuming to research each coin online as I learn about the different traits that make a coin worth collecting or gives it monetary value. As of now I'm simply using a bright LED light and a magnifying glass, but I'm in the process of finding a USB microscope to make it easier to exam the coins for errors. Any suggestions for a starter microscope would be greatly appreciated.

Also struggling to find a way to keep coins orderly. So far I'm using ziplocks and any that I feel are worth another look, I'm using scotch tape to hold them to a sheet of paper where I'm writing notes. I'm sure the adhesive is not a great idea, and neither is getting beat up in a ziplock. Open to suggestion but rather not invest in expensive sleeves since 99% of them are worth no more than face value.

So next steps is purchase a microscope and continue examining 1 by 1 and hope for a gem or two.

Thanks for tha add to the group. Looking forward to learning from the community.