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  1. #1
    Paid Member TPring's Avatar
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    Sometimes old-school is better

    Have been using a USB digital microscope for several months and can sing the praises of using it. It has helped me find dozens of varieties that I may not have found otherwise.

    That being said, sometimes you must lay your eyeballs on the actual surface of the coin to realize its true potential.
    A digital reproduction can only do so much.

    So, after separating out several hundred 1950s LWCs [for year and MM], I finally started going through them for a second time [the first time through using the scope] using a loupe and magnifying glass.

    I started with the '54s [since that bin had the lesser amount] and no more than ten coins in I found a 1954d RPM-001 [FS-01-1c-021.76].

    Turns out I missed it the first time through with the digital scope but, nailed it with a simple piece of glass [plastic] -- Thank you Roger Bacon.
    Last edited by TPring; 06-04-2018 at 07:42 PM.

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  3. #2
    Paid Member makecents's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TPring View Post
    Have been using a USB digital microscope for several months and can sing the praises of using it. It has helped me find dozens of varieties that I may not have found otherwise.

    That being said, sometimes you must lay your eyeballs on the actual surface of the coin to realize its true potential.
    A digital reproduction can only do so much.

    So, after separating out several hundred 1950s LWCs [for year and MM], I finally started going through them for a second time [the first time through using the scope] using a loupe and magnifying glass.

    I started with the '54s [since that bin had the lesser amount] and no more than ten coins in I found a 1954 RPM-001 [FS-01-1c-021.76].

    Turns out I missed it the first time through with the digital scope but, nailed it with a simple piece of glass [plastic] -- Thank you Roger Bacon.
    There are some things you can't make better, eh?!

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  5. #3
    Registered User GrumpyEd's Avatar
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    The old loupe is best for a first pass then only use a scope when trying to ID it, that always worked best for me.

    Maybe because you can easily change the angle of the coin and the loupe to get the right light direction plus it's faster like line em up and move over them, flip em and do the reverses in a row. Sure, you can do that with a scope but for me it's much slower.

    Can't explain the science of it but if you scrounge up some small lenses and use trial and error, just stack them or try slight gaps between them, you can come up with a loupe that works better than you can buy. I keep any cheapo lenses from small magnifiers or if you have broken binoculars/field glasses they have a bunch in them.

    My best one is made from a 10X slip on microscope eyepiece, it holds 2 lenses with a small spacer then you can unscrew it to change the lenses. Trial and error I found a second lens that lets you see a date and mintmark (that size area) fills it. Then I hold it near my eye but far enough that light gets in and hold the coin near it but far enough to get light without the lens blocking the light. I use it at shows, right away I can see doubled dies or RPMs.

    I've had people ask to try it, they hold it too far from their eye or too close to the coin and say they see nothing and like their triplet better but I cherry the stuff they miss. The trick is you get really good with your loupe whatever it is.

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    Forum Ambassador VAB2013's Avatar
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    Very good info here TPring! Congrats for finding the 54D RPM! Did you post it?

    One thing about the scope, not sure if I mentioned it to you. If you use the snipping tool instead of letting the scope take the pic, the pic is better (less grainy).

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  9. #5
    Paid Member TPring's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by VAB2013 View Post
    ... If you use the snipping tool instead of letting the scope take the pic, the pic is better (less grainy).
    Snipping tool?

    Did not post since that takes extra time -- Will post later. Did find a second RPM001 and I possibly a 1954S DDO004.


    edit: Curious to know why CC and VV have two different FS #s -- Anybody?
    Last edited by TPring; 06-04-2018 at 10:30 PM.

  10. #6
    Registered User GrumpyEd's Avatar
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    edit: Curious to know why CC and VV have two different FS #s -- Anybody?
    Both are right.

    The CC number is the older FS number from the older editions, the numbers are in the order they squeezed them into the book.
    Later they went to a new system, it makes more sense. I think in general 501 means RPM-1, 502 means RPM-2.... 101 means DDO-001, 102 means DDO-002, 801 means DDR-001... so it's like a code not random.

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    Paid Member jfines69's Avatar
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    Cool... Sounds like the old school stuff just made good... The bad thing with digital images is that all pixels (dots) are actually little squares and as such nothing you see as round/curved in a digital image is actually round/curved... You can not really tell these days as the pixels are so small... If you zoom in enough then you see the squares and jagged edges!!!
    Jim
    (A.K.A. Elmer Fudd) Be verwy verwy quiet... I'm hunting coins!!! Good Hunting!!!

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  14. #8
    Paid Member duck620's Avatar
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    Nothing like the good ole eye ball
    "2012 Finds HERE"

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  16. #9
    Paid Member WaterSport's Avatar
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    Sometimes you can not adjust either the light or angle you need like holding a coin and loupe in hand.

    WS

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