Coin scale/Calipers?

Dmmit Steve, if you have a ceiling fan, I want a discount!

 

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Lol @stevex6 ; @dougsmit I do multiple weighs/measurements as well.

I am guessing that buying the calipers I did was the problem. I am irritated at the waste of four dollars honestly because I just wanted to have accurate coin measurements. As I have become more serious about ancients, it is becoming more obvious that certain coins rely upon the diameter for correct attribution. So I thought I would buy a small tool to help me with that. Now, the ruler that I have had sitting on my desk for twenty years gets the job. Stupid.

The scale will be something I get soon though. I have a Harbor Freight near me so I might go poke over there tomorrow. I do not really need the 100th of a gram, but if the price is reasonable to have it, why not? I do also collect rocks and minerals so a scale that can handle somewhat larger (at least a couple of pounds for pieces collected in situ) pieces would be worthwhile and kill two birds with one stone.

Thanks for the help and options, everyone. And for not being judgmental of a newbie.

 

I see ~22 mm on the ruler and 22 mm on the caliper, but it is possible that I'm misreading it.

 

Atta-girl, Hermione ... you're correct!!

 

That's Princess Hermione, Steve. Get it right

 

Yep, that's the kind I was imagining, where it's kept in a controlled environment and you don't touch the calibration weights with your fingers because the oil deposits will change the weight enough for the instrument to pick it up. Brand new, the cost of that thing is close to the value of my whole collection -- everything, not just ancients.

 

I have a guy from Mettler Toledo come in to calibrate once a year. Its one of the few instruments I don't touch in that regard.

 

Quit screwing around, and get back to work!

 

It is like using the old Slide Rule we used in High School... you measure to the ZERO mark like TIF points to...

 

I bought a good quality metal caliper last year ($ 25). There was only one in the shop. Its packaging was much bleached, although the shop is not brightly lit. The guy in the iron shop rushed the thing to the counter, as if I might get doubts after all.
The caliper has sharp edges and points, but so far I scratched no coins. However, for ancient coins it is not so important to measure 0,01 mm. Most coins are not round even. So I'm back to my ruler again. In fact it's a pica pole with a useful stop at the end.




The weight is much more important. To identify your coins a scale telling 0,1 grams is good enough. However, you should weigh them to 0,01 grams: if you have a tray of roughly the same coins, that were exactly described and weighed, and the cat upsets it - all the coins thrown on the floor! Grrr!
Well, in that case you need not be frustrated, just take your scale and re-identify them in a jiffy, using their precise weight.

 

Diameters of coins can vary greatly, not just by the caliper used but by those who measure the coins. Some will actually use 12x14mm, where most will just use the largest diameter measured. As for weights, they are not as important as most think. True, they can determine if a coin falls outside the general range and let one know if it may be fake or a fouree. It is also important to those making significant studies of coins, or for attributing a coin to a particular reign or time frame. But, with ancient coins the weights vary sometimes wildly, so there is no reason to honestly go to the hundredth (or for most coins) the tenth.

 

Well quite. For my system, I measure the coin according to the obverse vertical diameter. If they are square or very irregular, I make a note of that.

 

I'd toss that caliper and use a scale . As all my years in Tool and Die I'd measure most non critical things with a 6" scale and use my caliper and mikes for more precision work . As for a scale I use one I got from Wizards but it's only good for 0.1 and the extra decimal is well worth it so I'd like to get one that will weigh in to 0.01 .

 

Yes, I see how I was misreading the calipers now. Ugh, nothing like feeling dumb in front of twenty other people.

 

You can feel dumb, but let me remind you there is no such thing as a dumb question, only dumb answers. You learned something new and a skill you can use for the rest of your life, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

 

(Edit)

 

We've all been there . I'm sure if you browse my old CoinTalk posts you'll find all kinds of instances in which I asked questions which revealed my lack of basic understanding, and probably many more instances in which I thought I knew more than I really did . I'll probably do so again many times.

I'm still not entirely clear on how to properly use a Vernier caliper, or if your plastic caliper is a Vernier caliper or just one built to resemble one.

 

Weights are sometimes important for tracing provenances, especially when trying to determine if your coin is the same as an old photographed plaster cast. Of course, many of the old auction catalogues didn't have weight in them though.

 

I also noticed a lot of old references are in grains.