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 Replies: 19 / Views: 3,567 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2204 Posts |
Smell is probably the sense most strongly tied to memory.
I find that when I am checking out a bunch of old coins--especially pennies--the odor takes me back 45 years to when I bought my first Lincoln folder.
Anyone else concur?
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Rest in Peace
10197 Posts |
Yea, same way. When I had my bulk buckets of Wheats, that old smell was what hit me each time the closet door was opened. Like one big bunch of folders, hmmm, come to think of it had sets of Wheats and Jefferson too in there, shoulder level as I walked in, that might be why!
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Valued Member
United States
65 Posts |
Can't say that I've had this experience.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3343 Posts |
Old silver gives off a smell too, especially old silverware. Can't say that it is all that pleasant though.
"Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
516 Posts |
I seems to be the smell of old copper I recognize, after years of rummaging through job lots and junk bins.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
5029 Posts |
The smell of old coins drives my wife nuts. That smell can certainly take over a room after a period of time. I do not find it displeasing, although there are plenty of things that are more pleasing to smell. However, to me the smell of old coins says adventure and exploration.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
Copper and bronze coins have a distinctive smell.
The oils in the skin of your fingers is acidic, and will react with copper to produce complex organo-copper compounds.
I would think that sulfur is involved. Many sulfur compounds are smelly. Visual evidence that a chemical reaction has taken place can be seen in permanent fingerprint staining seen on copper and bronze coins.
Not only do copper and bronze coins get stained.
So does the skin of your fingers, and the need to wash them arises.
Other metals such as silver, can also be affected; there may be other metals that react with natural skin oils as well.
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Rest in Peace
United States
17900 Posts |
I can't smell metal. But the tastes are excellent  |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
I doubt that metals smell. However, if you think about it, after so many people have handled a coin, they possibly left enough STUFF on it to make it smell. Hate to say but might me from someone that picked his nose and then handled the coins. So many other things that someone may have been doing with their hands and then handling coins. Now you have them and bring them into your house where the heat and humidity add to those now contaminated coins.  |
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Moderator
United States
188391 Posts |
Quote:
Smell is probably the sense most strongly tied to memory.
I find that when I am checking out a bunch of old coins--especially pennies--the odor takes me back 45 years to when I bought my first Lincoln folder.
Anyone else concur? Agreed.  |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
3098 Posts |
My father had hundreds of paper rolls of circulated Wheat Cents that he kept in his old cigar boxes in the basement of our house (without a dehumidifier).
I still affectionately remember the smell of dirty coins, old paper rolls, and a slight tobacco and musty smell when going through his coins.
I have most of those rolls now, but I keep them in plastic bins upstairs. Not quite the same aroma. Still nice memories of digging through dad's coins as a kid.
Paul Bulgerin
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
5240 Posts |
Ah, the smell of old money...
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4212 Posts |
Pot, pizza & pine trees. That's just a few pcs. that have smells incorporated into them.
I've wondered what these would smell like over time.
But I get where you're coming from. One of my oldest memories is from a basement, where my dad always had a bag of cents or silver spread out over multiple tables. (in '64) When it rained, the scent
would gravitate upstairs. But tasting was verbotten
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1475 Posts |
Few months back, I had a chance to open up my old collections in albums after two decades.
Musty smell of Whitman albums brought back old memories, followed by Indian Head albums.
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Moderator
United States
188391 Posts |
I do like how my Dansco albums smell. |
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Rest in Peace
United States
18456 Posts |
Whenever I search through a hoard of Indian Head Nickels all I smell is that stench of Buffalo Dung . |
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Replies: 19 / Views: 3,567 |
Posted 12/05/2017 05:27 am
