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 Replies: 17 / Views: 2,611 |
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Valued Member
United States
450 Posts |
You know with all the talk of wanting original coins, I wonder how silver coins were stored before the invention of plastic ?
How is it we Silver coins that are blast white, never been cleaned and are over 125 years old ?
Any ideas out there ?
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4591 Posts |
Wooden cabinets with velvet lined drawers.
Paper envelopes (many of the Newman collection coins came with their 40 or 50 year old envelopes).
-----Burton 50+ year / Life / Emeritus ANA member (joined 12/1/1973) Life member: Numismatics International, CONECA Member: TNA, FtWCC, NETCC, EveryCountry (online) coin club Owned by three cats and a wife of 40+ years (joined 1983) Author: 3rd Edition of the Sample Slabs book, https://www.sampleslabs.info/ |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
4911 Posts |
I know some proofs were stored in tissue but this left wild toning in some cases.
Feel free to call me Will.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1234 Posts |
Lets not forget canvas bags and "Box for Half Dollars" https://goccf.com/t/170913Not really for Proofs or Mint Sets but that is how general circulation coins were stored way back when. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United Kingdom
17923 Posts |
About 10 years or so ago an elderly friend of my parents (sadly now deceased) found an old handbag - what Americans would call a 'purse' - when clearing out her house. In it was some loose change that had been there since 1966 including a penny of that date which was a real gem BU with full red lustre! Mary Micklethwaite's handbag was obviously the perfect environment for coin storage!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5825 Posts |
Quote:
Wooden cabinets with velvet lined drawers.
Paper envelopes (many of the Newman collection coins came with their 40 or 50 year old envelopes). Yep, many coins were stored like this. Each coin in a tray in the wooden cabinet had its own velvet lined "pocket". BUT the coins weren't held tightly in those "pockets" so they slid around as the tray was moved in and out. This caused friction marks on the coins over time. Those coins ended up being graded AU-58 AND became know as " sliders". These days the term " sliders" has been expanded to basically include ALL AU-58 coins. As for "blast white" a high percentage of early coins got cleaned many years ago. The TPG's have knowingly graded cleaned coins as "original surfaces" (not DETAILS or Genuine) if the cleaning was VERY light. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2936 Posts |
Many of the early Coppers come in a thick paper envelop just slightly larger than the coin itself that is preferred by the EAC organization. On the outside in pencil is written the list of owners of the coin and date of transfer. I bought a beautiful MS state 1818 Newcome-10 Large Cent and sent it to PCGS for grading and attribution. A scan of the paper holder showing the list of owners was sent with the coin and PCGS gave it the appropriate pedigree ("Col." Green) without issue. PG
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2368 Posts |
I inherited a coin collection that has been in my family for several generations, and it was stored in a small change purse. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1234 Posts |
Quote:
The first man-made plastic was created by Alexander Parkes who publicly demonstrated it at the 1862 Great International Exhibition in London
- About.com So plastic is actually older than the Morgan Dollar  who would have guessed it  Edited by ASLAN TVorlon
07/06/2014 11:58 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1247 Posts |
a lot of people stored silver coins wrapped in paper, then wrapped in aluminum foil to prevent toning.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
726 Posts |
Makes me wonder.,,If say a coin man who was also a Mechanic in old days Would smear oil on his Ag coins?
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
4208 Posts |
A lot of conder tokens which retain full luster and colour (there are many, even from the earliest issues in 1787) were lacquered. Others were just stored in cabinets.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1372 Posts |
I recall reading that the preferred wood for coin cabinets was mahogany, owing to the fact that it contains less tannic acid which promotes toning. One of these days I'm going to build myself a coin cabinet, of mahogany. I bought a fake draped bust dollar to inlay into it.
Someday in my spare time.
Chance
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4416 Posts |
Many years ago, there was an elderly collector with whom I would trade coins, tokens, medals and such. One day, he called me to his home and told me the sad news that he was dying. He sold me a number of items from his collection and asked me if there was anything else I'd care to buy, such as antiques. The only item that I can still recall buying is an antique coin chest.
Judging from the wood, inlaid walnut, and workmanship, it appears to be circa 1860's. It has inset, brass handles, lock and key. The dimensions are about 12" x 12" x 14" high. It contains 13 drawers, each of which has a glass lid that lifts up. Inside the drawers are lift-out trays with drilled holes. Set within the holes were leather inserts, upon which the coins would rest. Given the sizes of the holes, I deduced that the chest was of English origin. There are no markings.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5854 Posts |
I would say it is possible for a 100+ year old silver coin to remain white without cleaning or dipping. Just look at how many GSA morgans are in the holders that say uncirculated. They were probably from the center of the bag. The sulfur from the bag would have reacted with those in closer proximity to the bag leaving little if any to react with the coins near the center.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Often the coins stored in envelopes would first be wrapped in anti-tarnish paper. This was a special sulfur free tissue paper that acted as a barrier to teh sulfer in the paper envelopes.
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Replies: 17 / Views: 2,611 |
Posted 07/05/2014 11:59 pm
