Holding Coins - Guess I'm Pretty Old School About It. (1802 Draped Bust Cent)

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I like the draped bust cent in this listing. I didn't bid on it or any of the other coins listed by this seller.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/125101985027

My grandfather taught me 60 years ago that collected coins -- especially copper coins -- should never be touched without gloves (thin white cotton, specifically), because it is the oil on our skin that causes wear and corrosion.

If I absolutely had to hold a coin with my bare hands, it should should be by the rim only.

Even if this guy has scrubbed his hands and there's no harm befalling the coin, I'm still offended by the picture.

Edited by pristine2
01/22/2022 08:27 am

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Nothing wrong with handling old circulated coins. As much as I like uncirculated coins in book sets, l love putting my hands on coins. Thanks for sharing,

NGC makes a point not to use gloves when handling coins. From their website:

Why do NGC graders not wear gloves?
Gloves make it more difficult to hold a coin and increase the likelihood of it being dropped or mishandled. It is widely accepted within numismatics that a coin should be held on its edge with clean, dry hands and without gloves.

This coin was touched a thousand times before. Placing it on a hand won't cause any harm. I wash my hands frequently and make sure they are dry before I start handling my coins. As long as you're careful and clean, you can handle a coin with bare hands.

With BU copper going into an album, I usually use a powder-free latex glove to push the coin into the slot.

I agree , with a very old copper coin worn as that one , you are not going to ruin it by holding it with your fingers unless your hands were soaked in oil and dirt .

I handle my raw/non-MS coins all the time. Think how many thousands of times they have been handled to get that much metal worn off. What's one more?

The only reason to insist on holding a coin like this one by the rims is to keep in the habit of proper handling. The point being that if you always do it properly, you are unlikely to every make an error in handling.

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