Loupe versus Magnifier
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Posts: 38 ✭
The loupe I’ve been using - 30 x 60, $10 on Amazon - is really difficult to use. The field, if that is the correct word, is a small circle and I have to squint to see anything.
I just googled “best loupe for coins” and got some hits for magnifiers.
Do you use loupes or magnifying glasses?
Do you think a 40 magnification loupe would be a significant improvement or do I need to go a lot bigger? I use reading glasses, if they matters.
BTW, I’m looking at OTT table lamps. Thanks, all.
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realistically, you probably shouldn't need to use anything stronger than a 10X loupe. a popular style is a 3-6-9.
This!
Too much magnification can be worse than too little.
Charles Morgan of CoinWeek has a great video on this topic:
I think the best overall loupe is the Bausch and Lomb 7x triplet. Very nice eye relief distance, nice field of view, plenty sharp. When I need a closer look, I’ll use Nikon’s 10x triplet loupe which is very nice but with a smaller field of view and a bit shorter eye relief.
If you can't see it with a 10X magnifier it probably isn't worth fooling with in the first place. I rarely waste my time on anything I can't see with a 5X.
This!!, I always say that everything looks like something at the micron level. Too many collectors; especially new collectors; think that seeing every microscopic bump is a good thing, it is not.
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I use the Eschenbach folding 4x/6x=10x loupe. Large viewing area and 10x magnification when you need it.
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yolo
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/collectors-showcase/date-sets/hashtags-prefect-coin-grading-service-1879/album/7621
i got a 5x and 10x. i do not need more then that
A high-end high-resolution photograph on a large computer screen will reveal a lot more about a coin than a Lupe.
I grade coins quickly without using a loupe, but can give a scan of the entire area quickly with a 5x Bausch & Lomb. If I really need to get into something I use a 10x Zeiss, but that is truly unusual. You don't need anything more than that and if you are using it then it would have to be because your particular eyesight requires it. I doubt that is the case, so get into numismatic reality and ditch the high magnification.
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https://belomostore.com/belomo-10x-triplet-loupe.html
I've used this for years quality glass.
Search ebay for a discount.
The recommendations are all good ones, such as the Eschenbach 3+6=9 Achromatic loupe. But some are on the pricey side.
I've always used Bausch & Lomb 7x triplet for routine use, and 10x B&L for closer detail on varieties. Then I found the Belomo 10x... and am using nearly all the time. It is inexpensive, and high quality... and, a WIDE field of view. Much more so than the B&L. It is imported from Belarus, and made in a factory that produced much of the old USSR military optics. A good choice for quality/budget.
I have used a 10x loupe for decades.
Initially, I was going to simply agree with this. Over the years I've learned to do three things. First (and by FAR, most important) is just to look at it. The biggest pitfall here is to use appropriate light, not fluorescents or the overhead lights in a typical show bourse. This is the best way to evaluate luster and get a feel for the overall "fabric" of the coin.
Second, use a loupe, but only for specific purposes. Sometimes hairlines masquerade as die-polish-lines. A loupe clears this up quickly. Sometimes toning can look like hits and visa-versa. Again, the loupe clears this up. It's also useful for evaluating the high-points for a bit of rub (cabinet friction), poor strike, or luster abrasions. Looking at every molecule of the coin can be entertaining, but in the end not very useful. I have a 5X loupe and find this to be plenty. Many of the best dealers routinely use less than this for 5-figure purchases. You can learn a lot by watching them. I have a 10X that I use maybe a few times a year.
Finally, a high-quality photo on a big monitor shows the coin in ways that you just can't see with either a loupe or in-hand. For variety attribution, this is the easiest. As with the other methods of evaluation, it's the interpretation of what you're seeing that's important. It is very easy to see without seeing. When possible I photograph every potential new purchase, but obviously I don't haul my photo setup around on the bourse floor. I have, on occasion, identified things in the photo that would have stopped me from buying the coin. Usually it's because I wasn't careful enough with step 1 or step 2. Once or twice I've turned around and sold it to someone else to find one I like better.
40X is useless for 99% of what you should be looking for.
A single glance tells an experienced radiologist more than three hours of scrutiny by the med student. Same idea.
Zeiss D36 is my model of choice.
A: The year they spend more on their library than their coin collection.
A numismatist is judged more on the content of their library than the content of their cabinet.
I use this one almost exclusively. It is 5x and snaps into the case. It's under $10 but provides a clear, sharp image. I also have a 10x I carry around to shops and shows along with it.
I use a B&L 7x loupe but I also have a pair of Donegan magnifiers that I use to look at my watches with. It works great for coins too!
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IMO loupes are only useful when you have nothing better to view with, ie when you're at a coin show or other remote venue. When you are at home or office viewing coins, loupes are not the best way to view. I have literally dozens of loupes and magnifiers that I bought in the late 80's and early 90's, searching for the "best" one to search for varieties and grade coins with. Eschenbach, Nikon, Zeiss, Bausch & Lomb, you name it, I have one of them, and I have not used any of them for decades. In 1990 I picked up a cheap B&L StereoZoom microscope, and never used a loupe again. A stereoscope gives so much better perspective on the coin that you will wonder why you ever wasted money on loupes (and I wasted a lot). Some may say "but stereo microscopes are too high power", but if you choose the right one this is not the case. Or some may say "but stereo microscopes are too expensive compared with loupes", but you can actually pick up a nice B&L on eBay for less than you would spend on a 3-6-9 Zeiss or Eschenback loupe.
Ironically, the very best B&L stereo microscopes are the simple 1x types, no variable zoom, as these have excellent clarity and alignment due to their simplicity. The ironic part is that they are totally disrespected, and can be had for peanuts. A Stereo-1 on the simplest A-Stand can be super cheap, less than the expensive loupes, and an order of magnitude more useful for home or shop/office use.
http://macrocoins.com
This is whatI have used for years. 7X magnification. I carry it in this old prescription bottle.
If your cherry-picking then use high magnification or a strong loupe for sure.
For just basic coin collecting I use nothing on larger coins like dollars, half dollars or $20 gold pieces. I use a 4X or a 5X magnifier on smaller coins. If I used a 10X loupe there would be no coins in my collection as I would see a problem with every coin I look at. I don't have a problem with wear or hits on a coin or even subdued luster, but spots and tarnish really bother me. That's why I only collected gold when I first started the hobby in 1987. It took me about 30 years (2017) to get past the fact that I can not buy silver or copper coins from the late 1700's or early 1800's and not expect them to have some tarnish or spots on them.
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I use a Zeiss 3x6x9 loupe for general purposes when on the road. At home I use a Sirchie (see attached) 4,5x. These work well for 99.99% of all my needs. Cheers, RickO
I have loupes and magnifying glasses...
If you get a loupe look for the word "triplet", it means there are 3 combined lenses and it removes the distortion, meaning it's much easier on your eyes!
Also...didn't see anyone mention the app versions which work great, especially if you have a newer phone!!!
On my Android phone I have "Smart Magnifier". For those who haven't tried something like this...it's FANTASTIC!!!
Android - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=kr.sira.magnifier
Here's one for iPhone...
iPhone - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/smart-magnifier/id1125991635
There are a ton of these to choose from.
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Years ago, there was a gent at the local shows selling 4" lenses he salvaged out of old telescopes. Set up with a good light (as said above, that's critical) and you can quickly scan a lot of coins with a comfortable working distance.
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can you post a link/picture? while i agree 8-15x is enough to get you where you need to go, i've had situations where much more magnification helped. besides my zeiss 3x6x9 which was WONDERFUL, i carried either a 20xor30 unfortunately i forget and it was pretty useful but i always wanted once with a bit more but never found one.
there a lot of cheap loupes that state one magnification but simple are not so getting suggestions is a great idea.
I use bausch & lomb 3x-4x=7x on the bourse floor ( no longer made . Some Brick and mortars still have them.)
nice large lens 36mm I believe, can see the whole coin at once. some well known dealer use this one.
4x is as good as a 5x. flip of a finger to get 7X to look closer.
With the 3X you can look thru normal thickness dealers cases on the bourse floor if dealer is too busy to pull a coin for you. using far field focus. neat trick.
Also carry a ANCO silver 16X for varieties ,nice large lens (23mm?) to let more light in as the16X focal distance is very small,
works well. My pouch usually also has some sort of 10X loupe. Eschenback 10X 23mm, Bolomo 10X 23mm etc.
A new Zeiss 3x-6X=9X is also a very good lens. NGC graders use this one. The old East German Zeiss Jena's 3x-6x=9X are a touch better in my opinion. they have a black casing and reflect less light back at your eye then the new Zeiss's above.
I may be wrong here but I think PCGS graders use various : Eschenback 5X glass, B&L 5x slide aspheric plastic, B&L 7x
Krueger
I collect loupes too.