How To Handle Coins
| iccoins
Coin handling is a very important topic in the coin collecting community to protect your coins from accidental damage.
What Can Happen With Improper Handling?
DO touch your coin by the edge carefully, over a soft surface and be careful not to drop it. A soft surface helps protect the coin if you do accidentally drop it. By touching it by the edge, you may get fingerprints on the edge, but you will not damage the main details of the coin that is contained on the front and back. It's always a good idea, as well, to use cotton gloves when handling your coins.
What Can Happen With Improper Handling?
With improper handling of coins, your coin(s) can find themselves with unattractive slime, toning, grease, dots, etc. Some common damage include PVC damage, fingerprints, and cleaning.
Does The Value Matter?
To protect your coins, you should always protect it in whatever way is necessary for that specific coin. For example, a coin worth $1.00 is not to be protected in the same way as a coin worth $1,000. If you want to, though, you can protect your $1.00 coin with the same care as the $1,000 coin if, for example, it's your favorite and most prized coin.
To protect your coins, you should always protect it in whatever way is necessary for that specific coin. For example, a coin worth $1.00 is not to be protected in the same way as a coin worth $1,000. If you want to, though, you can protect your $1.00 coin with the same care as the $1,000 coin if, for example, it's your favorite and most prized coin.
Cardboard Coin Holders
Cardboard coin holders are good and affordable for caring for coins. The holders are carboard, with a piece of plastic, allowing you to see both sides of the coin. You can staple them and put them either in binders with holder pages or boxes you can flip through. These are not airtight but helps to prevent damage due to touching the coin.
Mylar Flips
Mylar flips are also a good and affordable option for caring for your coins. You can see all sides including the rim and they are easy to remove and insert into the pockets. You do have to be careful though, as some super cheap flips are made of PVC, which can damage the coin. It is hard to see the difference between the safe mylar flips and the bad PVC flips.
Shoebox
Many new collectors often use shoeboxes, where their coins just sit with no protection. This is NOT the way to go, even if your coins aren't worth much. Being hit against eachother frequently causes scratches, etc. to the coin. Nobody wants their coin collection, no matter the value, ruined.
DIY Coin Slabs
DIY Coin Slabs protect your coin from damage. DIY slabs are not to the same quality as PCGS, NGC, ANACS, or IGC slabs, but still protect your coin very well. Coin World slabs are the most popular in this category. They are not as affordable as other options, but they protect your coin very well. They are not sonically sealed like the popular professional grading services, however, meaning they do not protect your coin to the same extent.
Professional Coin Slabs
Coin slabs from the professional graders like PCGS, NGC, ANACS, and IGC are the best you can get. They are sonically sealed and hard to open. Your coin will have the maximum protection if placed into one of these holders. In addition to that, because of the professionally graded aspect of having these slabs, the coin will often increase greatly in value. PCGS and NGC have the best holders, but the other two are other great, more affordable options.
Hand Handling
As you can imagine, you may want to touch your coin or you may have to to put it in a holder. However, there are some things you should do and some things you should not do.
DO NOT touch your coin, lathering it in your hands, touching and feeling every part of it. This can cause fingerprints, as well as oil from your hands can get onto the coin.
Comments
Mike
Level 7
Very good advice it's just to bad not everyone listens to it. They think they know what there doing and they don't. Some even drop them. It's to bad not everyone will follow your advice and continue to destroy coins . Thanks Mike.
iccoins
Level 4
Thanks :) I even saw a video and someone in the comments told them that they should wear gloves and the video maker replied saying "I actually wash my hands. Do you?" Some people just don't think what they do will make a difference.