Opened a box and found this.

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Type2
Type2 Posts: 13,985 ✭✭✭✭✭
in U.S. Coin Forum

So how will you remove this? I remember I bought them and didn’t want to remove all the wax at the time. So I put them up till now so should I just leave them or open them and transfer them to new holders?




Hoard the keys.

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  • bolivarshagnasty
    bolivarshagnasty Posts: 7,359 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I have owned a couple of those plastic tubes that have shrunk tight against the coins. Hope this is not the case for you. IIRC, I had to heat the plastic up in boiling water and then remove the coins.

  • thebeav
    thebeav Posts: 4,115 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    That's fun.....Maybe you have a shot at the'44 D/S.

    My Ebay Coin Store
  • ricko
    ricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I am not sure I understand.... Are the plastic tubes wax sealed?? Some look strange... Cheers, RickO

  • PerryHall
    PerryHall Posts: 47,749 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    If the old plastic tubes shrunk and the coins won't come out, would it be feasible to soak the tubes in acetone to soften the plastic to help remove the coins or would this be a dumb idea?

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • DelawareDoons
    DelawareDoons Posts: 3,443 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @PerryHall said:
    If the old plastic tubes shrunk and the coins won't come out, would it be feasible to soak the tubes in acetone to soften the plastic to help remove the coins or would this be a dumb idea?

    Won't work. Boiling them is the only viable way I know of to get 'em out. Had the same problem as @bolivarshagnasty and my first thought was acetone.

    "It's like God, Family, Country, except Sticker, Plastic, Coin."

  • PerryHall
    PerryHall Posts: 47,749 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @DelawareDoons said:

    @PerryHall said:
    If the old plastic tubes shrunk and the coins won't come out, would it be feasible to soak the tubes in acetone to soften the plastic to help remove the coins or would this be a dumb idea?

    Won't work. Boiling them is the only viable way I know of to get 'em out. Had the same problem as @bolivarshagnasty and my first thought was acetone.

    Boiling them is probably less messy than attempting to dissolve the tubes in acetone. It shouldn't hurt silver coins but I'm not sure it would be safe with copper coins.

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • jmlanzaf
    jmlanzaf Posts: 43,044 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @PerryHall said:
    If the old plastic tubes shrunk and the coins won't come out, would it be feasible to soak the tubes in acetone to soften the plastic to help remove the coins or would this be a dumb idea?

    Unlikely. It would also risk coating the coins if it actually dissolved the plastic. As @bolivarshagnasty said, heating up the tubes will work. It's also possible to crack the tubes sometimes.

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

  • ChrisH821
    ChrisH821 Posts: 7,147 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I would probably try a heat gun.

    Collector, occasional seller

  • jonathanb
    jonathanb Posts: 4,152 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    A heat gun is overkill. A normal hair dryer would likely be enough... But both risk spattering the wax and making an awful mess.

    I'd suggest an oven at the lowest possible heat, for a few minutes at a time. You're looking for a happy point where the wax melts but the coins don't change color.

  • mr1931S
    mr1931S Posts: 7,308 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 4, 2022 7:35AM
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    If these were mine, I would buy some dry ice to make the tubes and the wax brittle and then try to shatter the tubes.Dry ice is a hazardous substance, of course, so one would need to be careful using it. Definitely not a method for use by the garden variety coin tube cracker. Wear goggles for eye protection while shattering the tubes!

    "Two things are infinite: human stupidity and the universe; and I'm not sure about the universe."
    -Albert Einstein-

    Mistakes are natural. But repeated mistakes without reflection are something else. That may be the “stupidity” he was referring to. In research, he admitted uncertainty openly. “If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?” This shows humility. Even a Nobel laureate accepted doubt. That humility makes the quote less cynical and more observational.

  • JimTyler
    JimTyler Posts: 4,100 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 4, 2022 7:53AM
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    Sell em as is, pass the buck. Shake them see if the coins rattle a little. If the plastic shrunk they will be to tight for the coins to move.

  • Type2
    Type2 Posts: 13,985 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @ricko said:
    I am not sure I understand.... Are the plastic tubes wax sealed?? Some look strange... Cheers, RickO

    Yes they have wax on them like they were dipped in wax.



    Hoard the keys.
  • moursund
    moursund Posts: 3,207 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @JimTyler said:
    Sell em as is, pass the buck. Shake them see if the coins rattle a little. If the plastic shrunk they will be to tight for the coins to move.

    But then you would NEVER KNOW if you passed up a rare find. Don't do it!!! :o

    100th pint of blood donated 7/19/2022 B) . Transactions with WilliamF, Relaxn, LukeMarshal, jclovescoins, braddick, JWP, Weather11am, Fairlaneman, Dscoins, lordmarcovan, Collectorcoins, SurfinxHI, JimW. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that who so believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
  • joeykoins
    joeykoins Posts: 18,843 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 4, 2022 11:07AM
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    Quite interesting!
    If the above methods don't work or seem too extreme. I would simply and slowly use the old pliers/razor/sheet metal snips. Once opened, then I would deal with the wax. Patience is first and foremost. In any attempt.
    Good luck.

    "Jesus died for you and for me, Thank you,Jesus"!!!

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  • ricko
    ricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @Type2 ... It seems the prior owner wanted to seal them against tarnish by using wax to make the containers air tight.....Not sure why else they would do that. Cheers, RickO

  • crazyhounddog
    crazyhounddog Posts: 14,250 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    If they are wax sealed then I wouldn’t imagine it would be very hard to open them and that’s exactly what I’d do.
    Have fun with it and good luck finding something worthwhile.

    The bitterness of "Poor Quality" is remembered long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
  • cameonut2011
    cameonut2011 Posts: 10,862 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 4, 2022 2:20PM
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    @PerryHall said:
    If the old plastic tubes shrunk and the coins won't come out, would it be feasible to soak the tubes in acetone to soften the plastic to help remove the coins or would this be a dumb idea?

    The acetone would dissolve plastic that would deposit on the surface of the coins. You would have to do several rinses in acetone once the coins were freed. I’m sure there are superior methods.

    Edit: typo

  • CaptHenway
    CaptHenway Posts: 34,164 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    The tube brand that shrank were "MEHGRIG." Everything else should be OK.

    Professional Numismatist, Retired. 55 year member ANA. Former ANA Senior Authenticator. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and ANA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner of the PNG's 2026 Robert Friedberg Award for "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," Available now from Whitman or Amazon.
  • JRocco
    JRocco Posts: 14,277 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Whenever I had plastic like this I just put the tube in the freezer for a short time and the coins then slipped right out. I let them slide out omto a cotton towel that I flipped over the top of them to avoid any issues with condensation. Let them sit for a half hour or so then begin the search.

    Some coins are just plain "Interesting"
  • Coinscratch
    Coinscratch Posts: 11,085 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    There must be some hide grade Links in there for somebody to go to the trouble of wax sealing the tubes.
    Have fun and good luck!
    Signed,
    Jealous.

  • Type2
    Type2 Posts: 13,985 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    They are loose in the rolls. I’ll just need to cut the tape around the tops and try not to get any wax on them when transferring them. I’ll keep you guys up dated if I find anything good, Thanks all for some good ideas.



    Hoard the keys.
  • JBK
    JBK Posts: 17,860 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I like the freezer method. Get the wax and plastic cold and brittle and then bust it all open, or at at least chip away the wax.

    Soft wax would be a mess.

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