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What kind of light should be used to look at coins for grading and imperfectoion

Started by papag,

13 posts in this topic

papag

papag

Posted
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I am just curiious as to what light should be used to look at loose coins to get a feel as to there grade and small imperfections. I have a round table magnification lamp and as I turn the coins I see some things but at sunlight in a room I see other things and with a hand held loop sometimes I don't see any of the lines I saw before or the detail. Is there a particular light that the more experienced collector uses in looking at coins?

Thanks in advance for any help in this matter.

PapaG

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jom

jom

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A pinpoint halogen lamp is great for hairlines but don't use it too long in one sitting or you'll get a headache. laugh.gif

 

jom

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Oldtrader3

Oldtrader3

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I use a halogen desklamp for grading and sunlight for a toning evaluation. Flourescent lighting does not show surfaces and color well.

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Bruceswar

Bruceswar

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OTT Light is a high power light used indoors. It is like having indoor sunlight or a halogen on steriods. And for the record, no question is dumb.

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robertpr-migration

robertpr-migration

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Some tricks for you to try:

 

On a bright day, find a window, with a shade or blinds on it (preferably not a colored shade, other than white) that lets sunlight through but diffuses it...then look at a coin in front of the window at an angle which bounces the sunlight directly into your eyes. Your head should be either below or off to one side from the window, looking away from it, and the coin should be facing you (obviously).

 

Try this with a slabbed coin first. Hold the slab in front of you and angle it so that you can see a reflection of the window in the surface of the slab. You've got the angle perfect if this is the case. Now, this does make the coin tough to see with the window's reflection right in front of it but, look through the slab and at the coin. Is there any rub on it? If so, it will be *more than obvious* at this angle...ANY rub should leap out at you when viewing a coin like this.

 

Try getting a slabed AU and take a look, so you know what you're looking for.

 

Now, to find hairlines in proof or in business strike coins, try this: Get a lightsource, preferably halogen but just about any will work, and be sure the room is darkened except that lightsource. Remember skipping stones off the surface of a pond as a kid? That's what you're going to make the light do. Hold the coin so the surface is very close to being parallel to the lightsource so most of the light skips off the surface of the coin. Look directly at the coin's surface, at a 90 degree angle. You'll want to rotate the coin while doing this, without changing the angle of the surface to the lightsource. This seems to work best for me when the lightsource is some distance from the coin, so it's not overpowering.

 

What's going to happen here is the light will bounce off the hairlines at a sharp angle and directly into your eyes while the rest of the light skims off the surface of the coin. Hairlines will jump right out at you.

 

As far as general grading goes, you can pretty much use any lightsource you want, most people recommend incandescent lighting. The key is to use the same lightsource consistantly and get a feel for what different types of coins look like under that lightsource. If your lighting conditions constantly change while grading, your grading will be all over the board.

 

Good luck!

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papag

papag

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Thanks again for all your great ways and different lights and techniques for grading and for toning. It is all very much appreciated.

PapaG

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