Is this supposed to happen to Gutta-Percha ?

Pioneer

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coindeuce

It can. Gutta-percha is an early, crude form of plastic.

Think of Gutta-percha as having properties very similar to an object made of sintered metal. Very brittle. I consider exonumia made of Gutta-percha to be very fragile (almost like frozen milk chocolate candy) and handle it accordingly. I own several hinged Gutta-percha cases from the 19th century that hold medals, and they all have minor chip damage on the exterior surfaces. Finding daguerrotypes in undamaged Gutta-percha Union cases is like finding gold under your pillow.

ProofArtworkonCircs

Have mercy! That material is in my root canals.

ProofArtworkonCircs

In the old days rubber was the brittle one. Thus gutta-perrchs was used to insulate early undersea telegraph cables.
The quote belowis a line from Wikipedia.

Allowing this fluid to evaporate and coagulate in the sun produced a latex which could be made flexible again with hot water, but which did not become brittle, unlike rubber prior to the discovery of vulcanization.

Coin Finder

Golf balls where made of this in the early days.....

Pioneer

Thank you. I'm not sure if I should keep this piece or toss it in the trash. Next one I get will be treated with kid gloves....

Broadstruck

Almost all those coffee advertising tokens are missing a piece on the rims.



Depending on who is on the obverse, color, and if perfect they can command from $60 up to $300+



It's not trash as if all the pieces are there they can be glued.

ProofArtworkonCircs

I guess the answer to the OP's original question is that gutta-percha becomes brittle as it ages. Even modern rubber does this. The original beneficial attribute of these two substances is flexibility.

sparky64

Interesting and I learned something.



I'm looking at it like a puzzle now and you have two pieces switched.

ricko

That material is very brittle...but with care, it could be glued together to preserve the piece.

Cheers, RickO

Zoins

@Pioneer said:

After reading about and becoming interested in gutta percha in this thread:

• https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/comment/12516839

I ran across @pioneer's image above in Google cache and thought it was worth preserving.

Hemispherical

Interesting.

Zoins

I'm not sure if I should keep this piece or toss it in the trash. Next one I get will be treated with kid gloves....

@Pioneer1 which option did you choose?

ricko

@Zoins ....Thanks for finding the picture and adding it here.... Cheers, RickO

bearcave

topstuf

@ricko said:
@Zoins ....Thanks for finding the picture and adding it here.... Cheers, RickO

yes, OP pic won't display here.
Gutta percha was used for gun grips a long time ago.

ricko

@topstuf.... Yes, I have seen some old guns that had the original gutta percha grips. Cheers, RickO

Pioneer1

I threw it away....

BryceM

Hip replacements were made of this in the early days....... Didn't work.