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Lighting at coin shows

Started by AnkurJ,

17 posts in this topic

AnkurJ

AnkurJ

Posted
Posted

So everyone has heard and experienced that coin show lighting leaves much to be desired. The flourescent lights along with all other lighting popping in can really prevent you from determining a coins originality. We have all heard stories about a coin looking great at a show, but when it gets home, you are surprised.

 

From what I have learned, the best way to view a coin is under a single soft white bulb with complete darkness all around you. So how can one view a coin under these type of conditions at a show? Bring a towel and cover the lamp and your head while looking at the coin? That would look interesting!

 

Any suggestions?

How do you do it?

 

Ankur

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MarkFeld

MarkFeld

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I know a dealer who sometimes takes a lamp and coin under the table, in order to get a good look at the coin. That can be impractical on a large scale basis, however. ;)

 

I don't agree that using a soft white bulb is necessarily the best option. For example, halogen lamps often allow viewers to get a better look at a coin's surface. They are especially helpful for detecting hairlines, wipes, cleaning, etc.

 

In my view, the most important aspect of lighting is consistency - try to make/keep lighting conditions as consistent/uniform as possible. That includes the wattage of whatever bulb is used.

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TomB

TomB

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In my opinion, experience with the various lighting schemes employed at shows will help folks learn how to interpret coins while there in a manner that is consistent with what they consider ideal lighting conditions. It is not always easy, that is for certain.

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delta

delta

Posted
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I use a lighted magnifier, an Eschenbach 5X with LED, boasting a very wide field of view, and excellent optics.

 

Right now the best selling price for one of these I could find on the net is from Wizard Coin Supply, $76.75, still very expensive, but I think it almost renders obsolete any other numismatic magnifier. Here's a link to the product:

 

Wizard

 

Probably commercial promotions are frowned on in this forum, and rightly so, but I'm only recommending what I've found to be a superb product, your own portable illuminated magnifier, making you independent of whatever other lighting happens to be available, with the bulb and batteries extremely long-lived, and at the 5x magnification said to be employed by grading companies, thus evidently most generally useful for numismatics.

 

Question for Mark Feld, please, if he's still looking at this topic: Is that true about 5X being preferred by TPGs for general routine grading?

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delta

delta

Posted
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Correction: the magnifier linked to in my previous post is not identical to the LED one I'm using. There are several different models of Eschenbach illuminated magnifiers at 5X, and it's important to shop around and check prices before buying. It would be ideal to have the magnifier in hand and try it out before plunging, since these are so expensive. Eschenbach also makes these at various other magnifications, but for numismatics, I don't believe 7X or 10X or 12.5X is preferable to 5X.

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James_OldeTowne

James_OldeTowne

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So everyone has heard and experienced that coin show lighting leaves much to be desired. The flourescent lights along with all other lighting popping in can really prevent you from determining a coins originality. We have all heard stories about a coin looking great at a show, but when it gets home, you are surprised.

 

From what I have learned, the best way to view a coin is under a single soft white bulb with complete darkness all around you. So how can one view a coin under these type of conditions at a show? Bring a towel and cover the lamp and your head while looking at the coin? That would look interesting!

 

Any suggestions?

How do you do it?

I have two portable clamp-on lamps that I bring to shows.

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coinman1794

coinman1794

Posted
Posted
I know a dealer who sometimes takes a lamp and coin under the table, in order to get a good look at the coin. That can be impractical on a large scale basis, however. ;)

 

I don't agree that using a soft white bulb is necessarily the best option. For example, halogen lamps often allow viewers to get a better look at a coin's surface. They are especially helpful for detecting hairlines, wipes, cleaning, etc.

 

In my view, the most important aspect of lighting is consistency - try to make/keep lighting conditions as consistent/uniform as possible. That includes the wattage of whatever bulb is used.

 

Consistency is key, but there are some types of light that cannot be used, such as florescent bulbs, diffused light fixtures, and clear, incandescent bulbs, all of which can hide the defects on a coin's surface.

 

I do not find halogen lamps useful for grading, but rather for examination to detect hairlines on toned coins. I find a 75 to 100 watt, white incandescent bulb to be ideal for the grading process.

 

Many coin show dealers have florescent bulbs in their lamps, and if the coin is not certified, I have no choice but to move on. I have to think that they know better, and are doing it to make their coins look nicer than they are.

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RWB

RWB

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Heck, back in the good ol' dayz, we didn't have no fancy hal-o-gen or flo-res-cent light things. All we had were the spark from hittin' flint on steel, an' if'in we was lucky, mebee a sheep tallow candle. You young'uns is jess spoilt !

 

Durn tooten' ! Sittin' in some fancy-schmancy hotel with airs con-dish-o-neen and flushin' terlots.....

 

 

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MarkFeld

MarkFeld

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Question for Mark Feld, please, if he's still looking at this topic: Is that true about 5X being preferred by TPGs for general routine grading?

 

I don't know for certain what graders typically use these days. But my guess is that some rarely use magnification, while others use it much more frequently. And that when it is used frequently, it's probably 5X. For special situations, the magnification is likely stronger.

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DirtyGoldMan

DirtyGoldMan

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My favorite lighting is the lighting I have at home where I study my coins. My guess is most people prefer the lighting with which they are most familiar. I have not attempted to replicate my home lighting at shows. When I was an inexperienced collector, I frequently was burned by decisions made with unfamiliar lighting, but as I have gained experience, this no longer seems to happen.

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MJ

MJ

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When I was an inexperienced collector, I frequently was burned by decisions made with unfamiliar lighting, but as I have gained experience, this no longer seems to happen.

 

In my early days I was burned by the Long Beach Light Effect phenomenon.

 

MJ

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MJ

MJ

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You mean Dos Equis cant be used as sunscreen?

 

I don't always wear sunscreen but when I do I prefer Bain de Soleil for that St. Tropez tan.

 

MJ

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tenacious

tenacious

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You mean Dos Equis cant be used as sunscreen?

 

I don't always wear sunscreen but when I do I prefer Bain de Soleil for that St. Tropez tan.

 

MJ

 

A numismatist with a tan? Unheard of. :)

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