How did Unc coins from the 19th century get preserved?

notwilight · May 28, 2008 5:55AM

So where do we get most of the 100+ year old perfectly preserved coins?

Hyperion · May 28, 2008 5:57AM

there were rich folk back then to who could afford to put prime examples away... who had access to get choice examples...

Bear · May 28, 2008 6:02AM

Actually this is an interesting question. What storage and packaging

materials existed in the 19th century to preserve coins. Any research

historians on the Forum that can illuminate this matter for us?

Unknown · May 28, 2008 6:04AM

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Bear · May 28, 2008 6:06AM

Paper envelopes, felt lined coin cabinets, what else?

vplite · May 28, 2008 6:08AM

Millions of Morgans were never released to the public. Congress required them to be minted, but the public had no need for them.

rgCoinGuy · May 28, 2008 6:10AM

A lot were stored at the bottom of the ocean.

PTVETTER · May 28, 2008 6:12AM

I have seen some that were coated with lacquier or varnish. It comes off easy with acetone.

MadMarty · May 28, 2008 6:13AM

When my grandmother passed away we were going through her things.. Stashed in a bible was a gem 1888 dollar (my grandfathers birthyear). It had been in that book sitting on the shelf for years!

thestig · May 28, 2008 6:16AM

Banks horded them in vaults, stored in mint bags.

TavernTreasures · May 28, 2008 6:26AM

Thanks to all the early collectors who saved them for us!

PerryHall · May 28, 2008 7:09AM

<< <i>When my grandmother passed away we were going through her things.. Stashed in a bible was a gem 1888 dollar (my grandfathers birthyear). It had been in that book sitting on the shelf for years! >>

What a neat book mark!!! Was the coin raw? If it was raw, I'm surprised it wasn't lost considering its small size.

LanLord · May 28, 2008 7:18AM

Actually there was a little known grading service from all the way back in Assyrian times called BCgs (Before Christ grading service) that has been preserving coins since the very earliest use of precious metals were used to make phone calls between caves as well as early pinball machines.

lkrarecoins · May 28, 2008 7:29AM

any thing in Grandma's attic or under Grandma's porch must be well preserved

19Lyds · May 28, 2008 7:38AM

Wooden Coin Chests were most likely used.

If paper envelopes were used, they were probably heavily laden with sulpher which would have caused the coins to tone which could account for some of the toning that is on older examples. Velvet causes toning as well or so I've heard.

Unknown · May 28, 2008 7:47AM

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cladking · May 28, 2008 7:50AM

<< <i>Actually there was a little known grading service from all the way back in Assyrian times called BCgs (Before Christ grading service) that has been preserving coins since the very earliest use of precious metals were used to make phone calls between caves as well as early pinball machines. >>

I'm told that if you put clad coins in the pyramid overnight they'll be uncirculated again.

Placid · May 28, 2008 7:51AM

I think they put them in jam jars.

notwilight · May 28, 2008 7:52AM

So we can thank the "modern" collectors of the time for getting them from the mint and putting them away? I wonder if they were eschewed by classic coin collectors of the time????....

cladking · May 28, 2008 7:54AM

The coins were saved by any number of means.

Most were lost in storage somewhere but significant numbers were saved
by collectors or used as backing for paper money. They were squirreled away
in the woodwork or buried in jars in the back yard against hard times. Some
were sent to europe or elsewhere where they were stored or used as back-
ing for paper.

Many of these coins were saved intentionally and many more were saved
accidently or sometimes inadvertantly.

The curious thing is that since 1965 all of these mechanisms have failed for
many coins and none at all were saved. Even the FED and mint started rotat-
ing out the coins longest in storage back in 1972.

cinman14 · May 28, 2008 7:55AM

<< <i>When my grandmother passed away we were going through her things.. Stashed in a bible was a gem 1888 dollar (my grandfathers birthyear). It had been in that book sitting on the shelf for years! >>

what did that puppy look like? Any toning????

oreville · May 28, 2008 7:59AM

Back in the 1960's, I was told by old timers that many of them had used lard in the very early 20th century to keep their copper coins from toning to keep them "air-free." Of course, they were not concerned about silver coins which toned very slowly and gold did not tone at all in a relative sense.

Later on, olive oil then mineral oil was used to keep the air out of the copper coins.

It has been verified that US Mint employees used animal fat (lard) to keep the dies from rusting while not being used back in the 19th century. They would simply stick the dies into the lard in keep them inside the tub of lard to prevent any rusting/pitting.

oreville · May 28, 2008 7:59AM

Back in the 1960's, I was told by old timers that many of them had used lard in the very early 20th century to keep their copper coins from toning to keep them "air-free." Of course, they were not concerned about silver coins which toned very slowly and gold did not tone at all in a relative sense.

Later on, olive oil then mineral oil was used to keep the air out of the copper coins.

It has been verified that US Mint employees used animal fat (lard) to keep the dies from rusting while not being used back in the 19th century. They would simply stick the dies into the lard in keep them inside the tub of lard to prevent any rusting/pitting.

BlindedByEgo · May 28, 2008 8:31AM

<< <i>When my grandmother passed away we were going through her things.. Stashed in a bible was a gem 1888 dollar (my grandfathers birthyear). It had been in that book sitting on the shelf for years! >>

Bible toning? Wow. Neat story.

Most of the coins that I have seen on Ebay L@@K!!! NEVER SEARCHED!!! GRAMMAS H@ARD!!! were put away in glass jars made in China. A long, long time ago

MrSpud · May 28, 2008 10:42AM

In that Coin Chemistry book written by White (or some similar name) the author said that some of the best preserved coins from back in the day were stored in metal tins.

How did Unc coins from the 19th century get preserved?

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