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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 2617889, member: 19463&quot;]Lets talk about accuracy.&nbsp; I have a plastic millimeter ruler with advertising on it.&nbsp; It is good enough to tell a 16mm coin from a 17mm one.&nbsp; I have two digital scales each claiming .01g accuracy but they are not in agreement on that last digit at all weights and the difference is not the same for all weight ranges.&nbsp; I never have understood how a calibration weight of 100g like the one that comes with most scales is supposed to be of value at 5g or even 25g.&nbsp; I have a coin that reads 0.05g.&nbsp; I wonder what it weighs?&nbsp; Buying a .001g scale might not help a lot. If you are OK with .1g accuracy, either is fine.&nbsp; You are not going to find ancients that are the exact same weight and diameter as all the coins produced the same day at the same mint.&nbsp; Most mints made a certain number of coins from a given weight of metal but were not precise that every coin was exactly the average weight.&nbsp; Diameter is even worse.&nbsp; If a coin was hammered just a little harder, it spread and is a little wider.&nbsp; Many coins are a bit oval so could be 17mm across and 19mm up and down.&nbsp; Yes, you need measuring and weighing devices but don&#039;t get carried away spending extra for a high end system.&nbsp; Someone will say you need greater accuracy if you are doing specific gravity tests.&nbsp; Yes, but can you find a chart that will tell you what the acceptable range of specific gravities is for the coins you are measuring?&nbsp; For that matter, can you find a chart giving averages?&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Get a ruler, get a scale and spend the leftover money on books or even coins.&nbsp; Data is delightful but knowing what to do with it is better.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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