How to open Airtite(?) holders from Proof set?

Barry

I am beginning to fill my Dansco 7070 and have a Bicentennial Proof set I want to use. The 3 coins are in Airtite holders. How do I get them open, without damaging the coins? Thanks.

beartracks42

I have had problems with these particular coins, also. In fact, I ruined a Dcam Kennedy trying to open it. I believe that the mint glued the capsules for this proof set. You will probably have to crack it like you would a regular slab. It is almost impossible to get open with a knife or sharp object.

JxnBoy

I find that I can usually open them with my fingernail by squeezing and rotating. I don't own any mint or proof sets that are glued or otherwise permanently affixed.

Barry

Thanks. I thought maybe I was missing something. These definitely are glued. Fingernail didn't work, but some gentle pressure in the vise (my preferred slab cracking method) did the trick.

Conder101

When the sets first came out there was a real problem with the capsules being LOOSE and they would come apart when collectors opened the sets dropping the coins onto the floor.

The set originally came in a white styrofoam shipper with a cardboard sleeve. The holder and the capsules were in the styrofoam seperately and when you slid the shipper out of the sleeve you couldn't tell if it was right side up or not. Many people were sliding them out upside down and the bottom half of the capsule would stay in the shipper while the top half and the coin would fall to the floor. They got a lot of complaints about it and started sealing the capsules