Good microscope for coin viewing

[RI AL]

Hello again and thanks in advance for your help. (I often forget to thank you guys for your terrific help with my numerous questions...but wouldn't it be boring for you to read a bunch of "thank you" posts? I'm not sure of the proper etiquette for this sort of thing.

 

I am currently using a microscope from the early 1980's that is 1x and 2x for my coin viewing. I LOVE hunting for varieties and stuff like that. Anyway, in your valued opinions, is that adequate for close coin work? The other question is lighting. This one has a terrible light aimed at the object but I would like something brighter. I have even velcro-ed one of those tiny twisty neck little lights to the microscope, but it doesn't help too much.

 

Anyway, any suggestions?

 

Again, THANKS!!!!!!!!

 

RI Al Alan

[TomB]

I'm not certain that a mircroscope is good for coin viewing for the vast majority of folks in the hobby-industry. A decent, hand-held 5x is great for coin viewing and I use an aspheric Bausch & Lomb that costs about $10. Better loupes, which have greater magnification and a better lens or lens system, would include my Zeiss 10x or the Bausch & Lomb Hastings Triplet. An equivalent to the Zeiss would likely be over $100 while the Hastings Triplet can be obtained for $30-$40. Good lighting can be obtained from any number of household bulbs or lamps or one may want to buy a gooseneck halogen for perhaps $20.

[rbrown4]

Also Al, I typically use either a 5X loupe or 10X loupe as Tom mentioned for general viewing but I have a 16X loupe that I use for looking for particularly difficult to find details.

 

Rey

[bsshog40]

I use a 7x Baush & Lomb that I bought a few months ago and I like it just fine!

[realone]

I use a 2" 5x USA 527 loupe; a Zeiss 3x+ 6x=9x D36 24/12, and a Peak Lupe 22x.

All for different applications and all used daily.