what is the best loupe for coin collecting?

[pulltabfelix]

I have a bausch & lomb 5x pocket magnifier. It sucks - it distorts the edges outside the main focus area.

what is a good loupe and power to buy? I am mainly now collecting wheat pennies now.

I want to stay away from any off brand Chinese crap if possible.

 

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[Kray Gelder]

Bosch and Lomb made good products up until the 70's, I think, when they sold their name to some crappy manufacturer. They are now pretenders in optics, and everything else they make. You want a 10x triplet folding hand lense or loupe. Any higher magnification can be difficult to use. You can spend anywhere from $15 to $400 dollars for one. Buy a German, Eastern European/Russian, or Japanese one for $50 to $100 bucks, and it will last a lifetime.

 

[Icewing]

I personally have no experience with this company but I did a quick search and thought you might like what I found.
https://www.magnifier.com/magnifiers-made-in-usa.htm

 

[Nitric]

I have no idea who makes it...I have a metal one that folds. What they use to look at stones. I think it's a 30 power.(?) Then I also have the Bausch 4 or 5 power. I have a small drawer full of different types too, but hardly any off them are labeled with a name, just the power. I usually grab the Baucah because it's not scratched and in it's own bag. I never noticed a problem...Where I do see what your talking about is in the head sets. I've tried using those and get distortions, unless really high quality.

 

[Chizzy]

My understanding is that grading services have their people use a 7x power magnifier and study a coin for no more than 5 minutes.
Personally, I have a plastic 2 lens (overlapping) that is 3x and 6x. I also use a plastic 10x lighted (Chinese made that is always with me) and a metal 16x made by Harris. And, for more detail, there's always the digital microscope........it all depends on how much detail you want to see.

 

[enamel7]

The Harris 16X is a great loupe and available at any Hobby Lobby!

 

[MidMoTreasure]

I prefer my 10x Bausch and Lomb Hastings triplet. It has been a real good tool for finding errors and varieties as well as checking surface conditions of coins.

 

[BC1969]

I use a Leuchtturm 20x led lighted loupe.
https://www.amazon.com/Lighthouse-Pull-Out-20X-Magnifier-LU30LED/dp/B001N0IWJC

 

[Rawhide]

the cheapo set at hf is the best one i have bought so far. you get a set of loupes.

 

[huntsman53]

I have a plastic foldup 5x, 10x and 15x. I don't know who made it and it is a cheapy but works great. It was acquired after I used pocket change to pay for something at a Convenience Store and left my' nice Bausch & Lomb on the counter at the store.

 

[dejapooh]

I have a plastic foldup 5x, 10x and 15x. I don't know who made it and it is a cheapy but works great. It was acquired after I used pocket change to pay for something at a Convenience Store and left my' nice Bausch & Lomb on the counter at the store.

Walter Breen used to use a plastic hand magnifier. Looked like it came from a cracker jack box. Imagine the coins that thing had seen.