Question- Opening old rolls

stephunter

I bought some rolls that have been stored for years. They are in plastic tubes and I can not get the coins out to look at them. It seems like the tubes have shrunk tight around the coins. Any suggestions. I tried freezing one roll. Might need liquid nitrogen

TUMUSS

The good news is....IT is likely true that they have been stored for years...and not "played" with.

Scratchin my head on the "gettin em' out" thing.

oreville

STEPHUNTER:

Better yet is to NOT open that roll. Will be worth much more if you leave it alone!

ddbird

heat it

freezing contracts..try warm water, and boiling, might be able to manipulate the plastic!

mercurynut

I have never heard of that happing before but I agree heat it slightly.

cladking

You'll hear manymethods for this but the easiest for me is to put them in a vise and
saw along the lenghy with a hacksaw till you're nearly through. Finish it off with pliers.

poorguy

If it is an old plastic roll, it should crack open. If is a newer plastic roll, you might have some trouble. I'd suggest a hair dryer to heat the plastic and try if possible to get a sharpie cutter and carefully make an incision along one side. If possible, cut the bottom off and see if it slides out that way. I have a roll of delaware quarters that is doing the same thing to me. They are in a new tube but I know what they look like so I am leaving them in there. Ultra-Roll-Protection.

stephunter

Thanks for the tips.

Vince

haletj

I've had that problem. I smashed and smashed them with a hammer. I got great coins out of them! (A great roll of 63-d nickels was one!).

Conder101

Liquid Nitrogen works great, just dip the roll in and the plastic just breaks up into quarter inch pieces like safety glass and crumbles apart.