Touching Old Coins With Bare Hands

This is the rest of the story:
McGarrett mails the coin back to it's rightful owner when the owner notices a large scratch across the obverse of the coin. This was when the coins surface came into contact with an embedded staple in McGarretts desk. Furious, the owner flies to Hawaii to meet with McGarrett but he is no where to be found. Meanwhile, back at the owners house, a break in occurs. The 1913 LHN is stolen only to be found someday in a junk bin by 12 year old Johnny who needs only the 1912-S and 1913 to complete his collection comprised mainly of AG/G coins

I just made it a habit to handle all my coins by the edges, as if I am making an OK sign with my pointer finger and thumb. I don't think about it, that's just how I handle them. I don't use gloves but I will put on some kind of mask when I am working on uncirculated or higher grade coins with luster. ( The kind you see people wear to prevent catching colds with the rubber bands )
My fingers produce more oil than average people.
We are all different. Some people might not produce much while others do.

As far as the mask goes, Moisture is in our breaths and when we talk or cough over bare coins tiny particles of saliva and whatnot can easily land on the coin and not even be seen. Later they can produce specks on the coin which may not be the attractive kind.
Air goes in and you are 98.6 degrees and comes out into a cooler room, you will make condensation.
Unless I am making change, I always automatically handle a collectors coin by the edge whether it is necessary or not.

Exactly. It wasn't the fact that the coin was supposed to be a valuable coin for Numismatic purposes, it was a historic relic. Sort of like sanding down a 150 year old table so you could repaint it with spray cans from Walmart. Or washing the wrappings on the Egyptian Mummies. That too would make them smell nice but wouldn't be so great for historic reasons.
In that episode it was shown that someone originally thought enough of that coin to put it in a lined wooded box for protection. Finger prints contain Acids that leave lines on coins. As I pointed out it was well known that the coin was not an expensive coin but was rather something like a relic of our past.

A few weeks ago I was vacationing in Lake George, NY. On the local station, there is an person who does local auctions on the television. He usually auctiones off jewelry and coins. Every time he would auction off a coin he never wore gloves and or held the coin by the edges. I was even more horrified when the auction ended, he would toss it to the side and all you would hear is the coin clanking when it hit the table.
I almost fell off my chair when he kept doing it to other coins.

I felt sorry for the person who was bidding on a raw MS65 Morgan. I'm sure after the auction ended, the condition dropped.

I touch old coins without gloves but always of a soft "landing pad." I've never dropped one on the floor and hope I never do. I would wear gloves if it's in great condition but most of mine have been well handled over the years.

Well, I make sure my hands are clean and I don't rub it all over myself!

There is a certain pleasure to briefly holding an old coin in the palm of your hand. I see it more as driving an old car occasionally rather than just letting it sit in the garage because you are afraid of another stone chip.

I agree with you about the cars but did you ever go to a car show? Many of those cars are brought there on trailers. Some are covered all the time untill the show. If you paid several thousand dollars for a paint job, a nick or chip really hurts.
Same with coins. Many want their perfect coin to stay that way. Holding an expensive coin in your hand may feel good but if your hand is full of dirt and acids, that coin will be yelling for help.