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Removing coins from Lucite

KISHU1KISHU1 Posts: 2,286 ✭✭✭
in U.S. Coin Forum

Is it possible to remove coins from lucite without damaging them
Thanks
Frank D

Comments

  • jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 40,927 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @KISHU1 said:
    Is it possible to remove coins from lucite without damaging them
    Thanks
    Frank D

    The question is more about whether they were damaged going INTO the Lucite

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

  • 291fifth291fifth Posts: 25,153 ✭✭✭✭✭

    My advice, having tried to do that decades ago, is to forget about trying.

    All glory is fleeting.
  • MaywoodMaywood Posts: 4,051 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The successful method we used: place them in the freezer for a few hours, wrap in a towel and smash on concrete. It’s not as bad as it sounds and the coins can be recovered without damage.

    "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety," --- Benjamin Franklin

  • Baylor8670Baylor8670 Posts: 249 ✭✭✭

    I haven't tried it before but I'd bet that acetone could take care of lucite.

    Whatever you decide, we're gonna need before and after pics.

    Also, https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/989967/anyone-know-a-way-to-safely-remove-a-coin-from-lucite

  • jonathanbjonathanb Posts: 4,029 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 12, 2026 11:13AM

    Earlier thread: https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/comment/13542348

  • KISHU1KISHU1 Posts: 2,286 ✭✭✭

    This is a toilet seat that is going to be at a yard sale tomorrow
    If it’s cheap I will get it and try freezing it and hit it with a hammer
    Thanks
    Frank D

  • dunkleosteus430dunkleosteus430 Posts: 519 ✭✭✭✭✭

    My advice is to heat them up until the plastic melts off but the metal only turns red-hot. Afterwards give them a good polish to remove the soot or any remaining plastic and they'll be good as new.
    I don't recommend this specialized technique for Zincolns though.

  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 47,501 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @KISHU1 said:
    This is a toilet seat that is going to be at a yard sale tomorrow
    If it’s cheap I will get it and try freezing it and hit it with a hammer
    Thanks
    Frank D

    If the toilet seat isn't too beat up, it might be worth more on eBay if it's left intact.

    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

  • jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 40,927 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @dunkleosteus430 said:
    My advice is to heat them up until the plastic melts off but the metal only turns red-hot. Afterwards give them a good polish to remove the soot or any remaining plastic and they'll be good as new.
    I don't recommend this specialized technique for Zincolns though.

    I don't recommend this for anything but absolute junk. He asked for a way to NOT damage the coins, not a way to damage them.

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

  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 33,788 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Maywood said:
    The successful method we used: place them in the freezer for a few hours, wrap in a towel and smash on concrete. It’s not as bad as it sounds and the coins can be recovered without damage.

    Might damage the concrete

    Numismatist. 54 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. Also won the PNG's Robert Friedberg Award for "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," Available now from Whitman or Amazon.
  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 33,788 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Baylor8670 said:
    I haven't tried it before but I'd bet that acetone could take care of lucite.

    Whatever you decide, we're gonna need before and after pics.

    Also, https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/989967/anyone-know-a-way-to-safely-remove-a-coin-from-lucite

    Tried that once. Didn't work.

    Numismatist. 54 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. Also won the PNG's Robert Friedberg Award for "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," Available now from Whitman or Amazon.
  • Rc5280Rc5280 Posts: 1,295 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @jmlanzaf said:

    @dunkleosteus430 said:
    My advice is to heat them up until the plastic melts off but the metal only turns red-hot. Afterwards give them a good polish to remove the soot or any remaining plastic and they'll be good as new.
    I don't recommend this specialized technique for Zincolns though.

    I don't recommend this for anything but absolute junk. He asked for a way to NOT damage the coins, not a way to damage them.

    He had to be joking?

  • jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 40,927 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Rc5280 said:

    @jmlanzaf said:

    @dunkleosteus430 said:
    My advice is to heat them up until the plastic melts off but the metal only turns red-hot. Afterwards give them a good polish to remove the soot or any remaining plastic and they'll be good as new.
    I don't recommend this specialized technique for Zincolns though.

    I don't recommend this for anything but absolute junk. He asked for a way to NOT damage the coins, not a way to damage them.

    He had to be joking?

    Probably. But people forget that newbies find these posts and don't necessarily know it's a joke.

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

  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 47,501 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Seems like a lot of work for some pocket change.

    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

  • dunkleosteus430dunkleosteus430 Posts: 519 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @jmlanzaf said:

    @Rc5280 said:

    @jmlanzaf said:

    @dunkleosteus430 said:
    My advice is to heat them up until the plastic melts off but the metal only turns red-hot. Afterwards give them a good polish to remove the soot or any remaining plastic and they'll be good as new.
    I don't recommend this specialized technique for Zincolns though.

    I don't recommend this for anything but absolute junk. He asked for a way to NOT damage the coins, not a way to damage them.

    He had to be joking?

    Probably. But people forget that newbies find these posts and don't necessarily know it's a joke.

    Sorry about that jmlanzaf

  • Clackamas1Clackamas1 Posts: 1,707 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Cut away as much as you can to get close and dissolve in 100% acetone, refresh it as needed. It could take weeks but should work.

  • Old_CollectorOld_Collector Posts: 945 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @KISHU1 said:
    This is a toilet seat that is going to be at a yard sale tomorrow
    If it’s cheap I will get it and try freezing it and hit it with a hammer
    Thanks
    Frank D

    So you had your priceless heirloom coins embedded in your toilet seat?
    Interesting. :D

  • The_Dinosaur_ManThe_Dinosaur_Man Posts: 1,493 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Old_Collector said:

    @KISHU1 said:
    This is a toilet seat that is going to be at a yard sale tomorrow
    If it’s cheap I will get it and try freezing it and hit it with a hammer
    Thanks
    Frank D

    So you had your priceless heirloom coins embedded in your toilet seat?
    Interesting. :D

    Makes for a rich bathroom experience

    Custom album maker and numismatic photographer.
    Need a personalized album made? Design it on the website below and I'll build it for you.
    https://www.donahuenumismatics.com/.

  • rte592rte592 Posts: 2,195 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 12, 2026 7:35PM

    @The_Dinosaur_Man said:

    @Old_Collector said:

    @KISHU1 said:
    This is a toilet seat that is going to be at a yard sale tomorrow
    If it’s cheap I will get it and try freezing it and hit it with a hammer
    Thanks
    Frank D

    So you had your priceless heirloom coins embedded in your toilet seat?
    Interesting. :D

    Makes for a rich bathroom experience

    This one hangs on the wall in my LCS.
    It does have a price tag on it but I don't remember how much...it has all 90% silver coins.

  • Old_CollectorOld_Collector Posts: 945 ✭✭✭✭✭

    So all you need to do is to get them out, condition is not important only the silver weight. I would start with the idea of freezing and smashing it to minimize the amount of acrylic by whatever mechanic means you need before you start with acetone or you will require a very large amount of acetone that will cut into the value of the silver you recover. I must say that this is by far the most number of coins that I have seen embedded.

  • jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 40,927 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Old_Collector said:
    So all you need to do is to get them out, condition is not important only the silver weight. I would start with the idea of freezing and smashing it to minimize the amount of acrylic by whatever mechanic means you need before you start with acetone or you will require a very large amount of acetone that will cut into the value of the silver you recover. I must say that this is by far the most number of coins that I have seen embedded.

    The silver coin seat is not the same one that the OP inquired about. Two different posters.

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

  • Old_CollectorOld_Collector Posts: 945 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @jmlanzaf said:

    @Old_Collector said:
    So all you need to do is to get them out, condition is not important only the silver weight. I would start with the idea of freezing and smashing it to minimize the amount of acrylic by whatever mechanic means you need before you start with acetone or you will require a very large amount of acetone that will cut into the value of the silver you recover. I must say that this is by far the most number of coins that I have seen embedded.

    The silver coin seat is not the same one that the OP inquired about. Two different posters.

    Ah, thanks, so did we ever find out what coin(s) are in the seat in questions?
    An 1877 MS65RD Indian would be a lot different answer from some spending change.
    And, perhaps I am overly sensitive in this area, but why would one want to buy a used toilet seat, I just replaced all of mine throughout the house and they were only around $70 for some really nice UNUSED ones at Home Depot?
    Although, that would be a great hiding place for your most expensive pieces. :s

  • jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 40,927 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Old_Collector said:

    @jmlanzaf said:

    @Old_Collector said:
    So all you need to do is to get them out, condition is not important only the silver weight. I would start with the idea of freezing and smashing it to minimize the amount of acrylic by whatever mechanic means you need before you start with acetone or you will require a very large amount of acetone that will cut into the value of the silver you recover. I must say that this is by far the most number of coins that I have seen embedded.

    The silver coin seat is not the same one that the OP inquired about. Two different posters.

    Ah, thanks, so did we ever find out what coin(s) are in the seat in questions?
    An 1877 MS65RD Indian would be a lot different answer from some spending change.
    And, perhaps I am overly sensitive in this area, but why would one want to buy a used toilet seat, I just replaced all of mine throughout the house and they were only around $70 for some really nice UNUSED ones at Home Depot?
    Although, that would be a great hiding place for your most expensive pieces. :s

    I don't know.

    I do have a couple of CC dollars in Lucite that I keep wanting to liberate.

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

  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 35,759 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @rte592 said:

    @The_Dinosaur_Man said:

    @Old_Collector said:

    @KISHU1 said:
    This is a toilet seat that is going to be at a yard sale tomorrow
    If it’s cheap I will get it and try freezing it and hit it with a hammer
    Thanks
    Frank D

    So you had your priceless heirloom coins embedded in your toilet seat?
    Interesting. :D

    Makes for a rich bathroom experience

    This one hangs on the wall in my LCS.
    It does have a price tag on it but I don't remember how much...it has all 90% silver coins.

    Now THAT is a family heirloom!

    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • JBKJBK Posts: 17,404 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I'd be a little concerned that any coins entombed in a Lucite toilet seat would already be polished or cleaned. So, I'd just get them out to melt or spend.

  • Russell12Russell12 Posts: 771 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I recommend NOT buy a used toilet seat for any reason.

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