Loupe 2 2

[Hoghead515]

I bought this cool little loupe for around $8.00 or so and I absolutely love it. Comes in this neat little case and has a tool to change the battery with.  It is very bright also. Will bout blind you looking at a shiny coin with it. Was using a USB microscope.  Bought it when I first started collecting from watching YOUTUBE videos and thought I needed one. I can see things better with this loupe then I can with the USB microscope. Such as die cracks. They look like scratches on the microscope and show up plain as day with the loupe. Don't know if it's where you can just look at one angle with the microscope or what. I can also examine a coin faster. I'm sure there are several very nice loupes out there but I'm very happy with this one. Surprised me how great it is to be so cheap. I've not ventured into the loupe world yet to explore more expensive ones. I'm sure I will be amazed when I do cause this little gator here amazed me. 

[Lem E]

52 minutes ago, Hoghead515 said:

I bought this cool little loupe for around $8.00 or so and I absolutely love it. Comes in this neat little case and has a tool to change the battery with.  It is very bright also. Will bout blind you looking at a shiny coin with it. Was using a USB microscope.  Bought it when I first started collecting from watching YOUTUBE videos and thought I needed one. I can see things better with this loupe then I can with the USB microscope. Such as die cracks. They look like scratches on the microscope and show up plain as day with the loupe. Don't know if it's where you can just look at one angle with the microscope or what. I can also examine a coin faster. I'm sure there are several very nice loupes out there but I'm very happy with this one. Surprised me how great it is to be so cheap. I've not ventured into the loupe world yet to explore more expensive ones. I'm sure I will be amazed when I do cause this little gator here amazed me. 

In my opinion there is no need for an expensive loupe. Cheaper ones will do the trick. I have 2 loupes that I use. One is a 10x and the other is a illuminated 30x with a smaller 60x lens combo. Both were around $14. I would say if you got another one, try getting a lower magnification of around 7x or 10x.

[Hoghead515]

26 minutes ago, Lem E said:

In my opinion there is no need for an expensive loupe. Cheaper ones will do the trick. I have 2 loupes that I use. One is a 10x and the other is a illuminated 30x with a smaller 60x lens combo. Both were around $14. I would say if you got another one, try getting a lower magnification of around 7x or 10x.

I will get one in a few days. Thanks for the recommendation. 

[Henri Charriere]

[Holy cow!  30- and 40-power loupes!  Aren't you afraid to admit owning this heavy artillery knowing VKurtB may be lurking around?  He exposed me for the rank amateur that I am ridiculing the use of any loupe beyond the 5- to 7-power range for grading purposes, using capital letters to emphasize the fact that in examining coins it is NEVER done! (I subsequently found out, to my amazement, that he was apparently right.) I rarely mention the loupe, a gift to me from my Diamond District days, and was frankly shocked when he recently brought up the subject of French 20-franc gold roosters in connection with the present-day census. I don't know about grading but I have a photographic memory. I have a few MS-67's, with none graded higher with the sole purpose of familiarizing myself with the terrain of near-perfection.  My feeling is, without that intimate knowledge aided by high-power magnification, how could you possibly know what your coin is supposed to look like at its finest?  My hat is off to both of you.  Happy informed hunting!  And don't forget to focus on the perfectly incised V.D.B. on the cent.  A low-power loupe will confirm its presence; a higher power loupe will reveal its remarkable precision and depth. This is what separates the assembly-line graders from the coin connoisseurs.

[ldhair]

The older you get the more you will like something with quality glass. More of the coin will be in focus. Much better on your eyes. Anything over 10X is not good for grading. A 20X can be helpful if you need a really close look at something like a mint mark. This is my favorite glass. Not cheap but once you start using something of quality, you will fall in love with it.

 

[Hoghead515]

7 hours ago, Quintus Arrius said:

[Holy cow!  30- and 40-power loupes!  Aren't you afraid to admit owning this heavy artillery knowing VKurtB may be lurking around?  He exposed me for the rank amateur that I am ridiculing the use of any loupe beyond the 5- to 7-power range for grading purposes, using capital letters to emphasize the fact that in examining coins it is NEVER done! (I subsequently found out, to my amazement, that he was apparently right.) I rarely mention the loupe, a gift to me from my Diamond District days, and was frankly shocked when he recently brought up the subject of French 20-franc gold roosters in connection with the present-day census. I don't know about grading but I have a photographic memory. I have a few MS-67's, with none graded higher with the sole purpose of familiarizing myself with the terrain of near-perfection.  My feeling is, without that intimate knowledge aided by high-power magnification, how could you possibly know what your coin is supposed to look like at its finest?  My hat is off to both of you.  Happy informed hunting!  And don't forget to focus on the perfectly incised V.D.B. on the cent.  A low-power loupe will confirm its presence; a higher power loupe will reveal its remarkable precision and depth. This is what separates the assembly-line graders from the coin connoisseurs.

That one is perfect. I can see the mint marks and everything fine. It does what I want to do with it. It's in focus very good too. I can see the scratches up close. I can hold the coin further away and see the whole coin and it will still all be in focus. Very surprised. I'll get a less magnified one later but for what I wanted it for it works perfectly. I'm not worried about grading coins. It's easier to see die cracks, rpms, things like that is what I wanted it for. 

Edited April 15, 2021 by Hoghead515

[Woods020]

These can’t be beat for the price. I had a couple of these, maybe another brand, but same price and look. The one thing I can tell you is keep the switch off. I had a bad habit of accidentally leaving it on or it turning on in my pocket. The little watch batteries it uses aren’t cheap, and mine took 2 or 3 I can’t remember. It was about the same price to replace the batteries as buy a new one. If they start getting weak maybe look on Amazon maybe you can order them for a better price than finding them locally. 

[Hoghead515]

3 minutes ago, Woods020 said:

These can’t be beat for the price. I had a couple of these, maybe another brand, but same price and look. The one thing I can tell you is keep the switch off. I had a bad habit of accidentally leaving it on or it turning on in my pocket. The little watch batteries it uses aren’t cheap, and mine took 2 or 3 I can’t remember. It was about the same price to replace the batteries as buy a new one. If they start getting weak maybe look on Amazon maybe you can order them for a better price than finding them locally. 

Thank you. I love mine. It shows everything great. I done ran the battery low to where it's getting dim now. I looked into buying a pack of 20 for 8 dollars. I will probably order some with my next paycheck. 

[Woods020]

if you can get a 20 pack for $8 do it for sure. I bought some at CVS and I think just to get 4 to replace what it needed was $15. 
 

 

Also I actually thought of you today HH. I bought a raw 1935-D Washington Quarter. I found it for a decent deal at an antique mall of all places near me. It’s not a real strong strike, but the surfaces are pristine. I figure it will go MS 65-66 range. Shame it wasn’t a better strike. I know you like the silver Washingtons. 

[Hoghead515]

10 minutes ago, Woods020 said:

if you can get a 20 pack for $8 do it for sure. I bought some at CVS and I think just to get 4 to replace what it needed was $15. 
 

 

Also I actually thought of you today HH. I bought a raw 1935-D Washington Quarter. I found it for a decent deal at an antique mall of all places near me. It’s not a real strong strike, but the surfaces are pristine. I figure it will go MS 65-66 range. Shame it wasn’t a better strike. I know you like the silver Washingtons. 

I probably will grab them. It takes lr927 batteries. I looked through several and found a few good deals. Those cheaper batteries may not last very long though. May be better to buy a better brand and pay a little more. 

That's awsome on the quarter. Those 35 D GWs usually run at a pretty good premium. That's on of the dates I need. I'm gonna keep my eye open for some a decent prices. Seems like I can do good at auctions sometimes. Have found a few good "buy it now" deals on the later dates. I do really love those quarters.  Everyday I keep loving them more and more. Enjoying the hobby more the more I learn about it. I found a couple decent later dates I sent in for grading I got a good deal on. They arrived at NGC last week so they should be opened in a few days  one is a RPM and the other a DDO. I bought both at a great price. I looked the DDO up on variety vista and got it from a reputable dealer. It's for sure the real thing. I noticed when looking at MD and a true DDO there is a big difference. There's no mistaking them is there?  I'm sure if you get one harder to tell there is but this one is plain as day. Very cool you bought that one. If you end up having it slabbed keep me updated on its grade. Stuff like that interest me quite a bit. I hope she scores a 66. That would be sweet. Good luck on it my friend. Here's a couple pics of the DDO I took before I sent it in. 

[Henri Charriere]

On 4/15/2021 at 6:20 AM, Hoghead515 said:

It does what I want to do with it. It's in focus very good too. I can see the scratches up close. I can hold the coin further away and see the whole coin and it will still all be in focus. Very surprised. I'll get a less magnified one later but for what I wanted it for it works perfectly. 

[When you do get around to getting a 5- 6- or 7-power loupe, you will be mightily frustrated.  I know I was.]

[Woods020]

1 hour ago, Hoghead515 said:

I probably will grab them. It takes lr927 batteries. I looked through several and found a few good deals. Those cheaper batteries may not last very long though. May be better to buy a better brand and pay a little more. 

That's awsome on the quarter. Those 35 D GWs usually run at a pretty good premium. That's on of the dates I need. I'm gonna keep my eye open for some a decent prices. Seems like I can do good at auctions sometimes. Have found a few good "buy it now" deals on the later dates. I do really love those quarters.  Everyday I keep loving them more and more. Enjoying the hobby more the more I learn about it. I found a couple decent later dates I sent in for grading I got a good deal on. They arrived at NGC last week so they should be opened in a few days  one is a RPM and the other a DDO. I bought both at a great price. I looked the DDO up on variety vista and got it from a reputable dealer. It's for sure the real thing. I noticed when looking at MD and a true DDO there is a big difference. There's no mistaking them is there?  I'm sure if you get one harder to tell there is but this one is plain as day. Very cool you bought that one. If you end up having it slabbed keep me updated on its grade. Stuff like that interest me quite a bit. I hope she scores a 66. That would be sweet. Good luck on it my friend. Here's a couple pics of the DDO I took before I sent it in. 

This one does look right and one of the clearer examples of DD. Sometimes they are pretty cut and dry one way or another MD/DD. But I’ll be honest it’s probably the most frustrating thing to figure out to me. Some of them, to me atleast, could go either way. I’ll be the first to admit 50% of the time I’m not the person to ask about doubling. Sometimes I am very confident, the others I’m like hmmmm. I’m not sure. 

[Hoghead515]

1 minute ago, Woods020 said:

This one does look right and one of the clearer examples of DD. Sometimes they are pretty cut and dry one way or another MD/DD. But I’ll be honest it’s probably the most frustrating thing to figure out to me. Some of them, to me atleast, could go either way. I’ll be the first to admit 50% of the time I’m not the person to ask about doubling. Sometimes I am very confident, the others I’m like hmmmm. I’m not sure. 

That's usually how I am. The only way I figured this one out was it was a knowledgeable dealer I got it from and I confirmed all the die markers on variety vista. It was a match. 

[Woods020]

This one has some good tells. The R in trust for example is very clearly a DD. The I on the other hand, to my eyes, looks just as much like MD as DD. May look different in hand. And it’s possible to have a DD with some MD also. 

[Hoghead515]

8 minutes ago, Quintus Arrius said:

[When you do get around to getting a 5- 6- or 7-power loupe, you will be mightily frustrated.  I know I was.]

I will probably get one next weekend. 

[Rollo Tomassi]

I am pleasantly stunned.   "LOUPE" is being spelled correctly.   

I better check the calendar.  I don't ....think... this is the END DAYS !!!   

[Hoghead515]

38 minutes ago, Rollo Tomassi said:

I am pleasantly stunned.   "LOUPE" is being spelled correctly.   

I better check the calendar.  I don't ....think... this is the END DAYS !!!   

I'm a hillbilly but, I'm one of the more sophisticated ones. 

[VKurtB]

I use 30x OCCASIONALLY, but never while grading a coin. For some variety attribution, yes. But when I get into that higher range, I’m not using a loupe; I’m using a full sized stereo microscope, with a camera tube. I have a 5x loupe and a 10x, and I wish I had a 7x. I’ve used one like @ldhair shows above, and it is a sweetheart of a glass. Agfa-Gevaert used to sell them, and they also had a honey of an 8x that was for viewing 35mm negatives. 

Edited April 19, 2021 by VKurtB

[Hoghead515]

9 minutes ago, VKurtB said:

I use 30x OCCASIONALLY, but never while grading a coin. For some variety attribution, yes. But when I get into that higher range, I’m not using a loupe; I’m using a full sized stereo microscope, with a camera tube. I have a 5x loupe and a 10x, and I wish I had a 7x. I’ve used one like @ldhair shows above, and it is a sweetheart of a glass. Agfa-Gevaert used to sell them, and they also had a honey of an 8x that was for viewing 35mm negatives. 

I may try to look into one of those @ldhair showed me. Would love to get a high quality one. This one I bought tho was very surprising. I will see how it does when it gets a little age on it. But I was very impressed. I never dreamed it would be in such good focus and show up so good. Usually I have to take them and wave them around all over the place to get them focused in to examine the coin. That one I just have to look through it whether the coin is an inch away or 4 inches away. 

[Woods020]

Bausch and lomb make some very nice loupes in the $30-$35 range if you ever decide to change. I read a ton of user reviews, many from numismatist, and the B&L for $35 hold their own against the much more expensive offerings from Zeiss, Nikon, Schneider, etc.. The step up from the loupe you have is to move to a triplet loupe, which has 3 lenses bonded to decrease distortion. B&L Hastings triplet are great if you want to go to the nicer ones and aren’t a ton more. They aren’t lighted, which I don’t think any of the nicer ones are. I wish they were but I guess they want you to use better light than an included one. 
 

My only complaint is they aren’t the largest loupes. In fact the 20x I ordered recently for certain situations is tiny. Comically so. But the 10x is a decent size and nice glass, especially for a $35 triplet. 

Edited April 19, 2021 by Woods020

[Hoghead515]

39 minutes ago, Woods020 said:

Bausch and lomb make some very nice loupes in the $30-$35 range if you ever decide to change. I read a ton of user reviews, many from numismatist, and the B&L for $35 hold their own against the much more expensive offerings from Zeiss, Nikon, Schneider, etc.. The step up from the loupe you have is to move to a triplet loupe, which has 3 lenses bonded to decrease distortion. B&L Hastings triplet are great if you want to go to the nicer ones and aren’t a ton more. They aren’t lighted, which I don’t think any of the nicer ones are. I wish they were but I guess they want you to use better light than an included one. 
 

My only complaint is they aren’t the largest loupes. In fact the 20x I ordered recently for certain situations is tiny. Comically so. But the 10x is a decent size and nice glass, especially for a $35 triplet. 

Thank you my friend. I'll have to look into them. This is a very educational thread. Helps narrow down to finding the right loupe for the right job. I would love to find a brick and mortar shop where a person can try some out. That's only bad thing about online shopping. I got another I bought a couple years ago. It works good but you have to slide the coin in a small holder beneath it. Its very slow for looking at coins. Have to turn it up and dump the coin back out and possibly scratch it or something. Love the glass in it tho. Been tempted of cutting it off where don't have to use holder. 

[Henri Charriere]

2 hours ago, Woods020 said:

Bausch and lomb make some very nice loupes in the $30-$35 range if you ever decide to change. I read a ton of user reviews, many from numismatist, and the B&L for $35 hold their own against the much more expensive offerings from Zeiss, Nikon, Schneider, etc.. The step up from the loupe you have is to move to a triplet loupe, which has 3 lenses bonded to decrease distortion. B&L Hastings triplet are great if you want to go to the nicer ones and aren’t a ton more. They aren’t lighted, which I don’t think any of the nicer ones are. I wish they were but I guess they want you to use better light than an included one. 
 

My only complaint is they aren’t the largest loupes. In fact the 20x I ordered recently for certain situations is tiny. Comically so. But the 10x is a decent size and nice glass, especially for a $35 triplet. 

With VKurtB' permission -- or feedback, pro or con -- I too am going to move up from 30- to a 35-power triplex.  That ought to make his day...