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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;kaparthy, post: 997838, member: 57463&quot;]Obviously, it depends on the kind of collecting you do.&nbsp; Error detection is one area, especially if you need to authenticate that the error happened in the Mint and was not faked outside the Mint.&nbsp; Generally, for Repunched Mint Marks and such, a simple loupe (14x or so) is more than enough.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>If you goto a convention and hand your coin over to a third party grader, they will look at it naked eye first and if they see something interesting, use a 14x loupe.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Do you have an electronic scale?&nbsp; Most collectors of US coins do not need them.&nbsp; However, collectors of ancients use them routinely.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Do you have a triple beam balance?&nbsp; Can you run a specific gravity test?&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>The equipment you need depends on the collecting you do.</p><p><br /></p><p>A couple of years ago, I picked up a handheld 100x microscope at Radio Shack and it sits on my bookshelf: I never used it. I rely on Bausch &amp; Lomb 5x handhelds in little black slipcases.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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