Coin Handling

IvanOnly

Sorry if this was posted before, however I could not find it.

If I break open a proof set, what is the best way to get the coins out of the holder?
If I can use gloves, what ones would be best?

Thanks

crito

I'm a cheap skate, so usually just turn a ziplock baggie inside out and use it as a glove. Especially helpful when pushing coins into those darn tight intercept shield albums. No fingerprints thus far.

robertpr

The ziplock baggie might actually damage the coin if you're not really really careful. Cotton gloves are recommended for handling proofs. Or the metal coin tongs you can find at www.kelgory.com are really good too and can pick up something as small as a penny but they aren't very good with anything bigger than a half dollar. You can buy the tongs or the gloves from kelgory.

edited to say: remember that whether you use a baggie or gloves or even your old rag from changing the oil in your car, no matter what you use for protection you should always handle the coins by their edges. I think supercoin advocates using those little finger condoms

goyankeez

Aren't those "finger condoms" what you use when you have to apply medication to your ..... Sorry. That's why I don't use them.

A pair of cotton gloves. @~1.00 a pair

crito

I used to use cotton gloves, but found they leave hairline scrathces on the surface of the coin. Granted, you should only handle a coin by the edges, but if you've ever tried to insert a coin into a intercept shield album, that's really not an option.

mbbiker

I also got some hairlines on some of my proofs when using cotton gloves

IvanOnly

Thanks for the advice all

crito

Ziplock baggies do not contain PVC, well actually, it's the plasticizer that causes the problems anyway, not the PVC itself (though plastic can release harmful gas when exposed to sunlight, that's why I don't use the translucent NGC boxes.) In any case, the outside of the baggie picks up crud in the atmosphere, that's also why I turn them inside out. No damage at all on my statehood quarter set (they haven't toned at all either, BTW.) Wish the intercept shield products didn't use paper, but guess I can't have it all I've got one safe that's completely "paper free" and to be honest, don't even need the intercept shield material. That was the source of my toning problems, the paper/wood.