What optics and tools do you use ?

I have several loupes, although the one I pretty much use exclusively is the Eschenbach aplanat 10x. (The others are past purchases that I hung on to). Top quality product, well worth it. For scanning quickly over a coin group, I use a Leuchtturm (Lighthouse) illuminated magnifier (glass lens with metal body model). Also digital caliper and scale.

 

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None. I could probably ask them all and write a magazine article about it. And, of course, for many important details that define varieties and errors, magnification is required. But, as for grading... just grading... You use a 60-watt incandescent lamp 3 feet away and view the coin with your own eyes (or normal glasses if you have a prescription). Grading qua grading has nothing to do with magnification.

That was what I learned in two ANA grading classes years ago and I have no new knowledge to contradict that.

 

I use a 7X Bausch and Lomb loupe that has worked well for me. I also has a 10X loupe.

 

And here I was thinking that I was the only person that knew how to spell it.

 

I can spell it too... of course speaking the language helps

 

I have a cheap WiFi USB microscope 40x1000 but it only shows pixels when I need it to be clear looking for errors. I also have a 30x 60x loupe that I end up using all the time since my USB scope is junk.