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 Replies: 14 / Views: 1,149 |
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New Member
United States
29 Posts |
Did you know...in the 1800's and early 1900's the general public was extremely germaphobic...so many banks and even the U.S. Mint washed and dried coins to rid the consumer of an "easy way to catch sickness" ?
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
9406 Posts |
NO! I didn't know that. Thanks for the info. steve  |
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
438 Posts |
quote:
Originally posted by triggersmob
NO! I didn't know that.
Thanks for the info.
steve
Sounds sensible to me, (although I find it hard to believe that your average 19th century man/woman cared anything for germs, baths or anything else). Even in the 1810s George IV (of Britain) was laughed at and ridiculed because he thought it proper to have a bath every day. Obviously not a real man!  I dunno about copper but silver is toxic to lower level organisms anyhow and is therefore a natural antiseptic. |
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
1262 Posts |
I did not know that either pdizbom.
I never thought anything was cleaned that well back then.
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Forum Kid
Kuwait
1523 Posts |
Intersting...I wonder If I could make a time machine and tell them what type of hoistory theyre messing around with!
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Forum Mom
 United States
5877 Posts |
I actually did know that. As a result, even coins which are considered "uncleaned" have most probably been cleaned in the distant past. Dealers have been saying this for a long time, but many collectors shy away from a coin as soon as you use the word "cleaned".
It's a real shame because, as you say, this was common practice in the 1800's and is part of the history of the coins of that era.
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
104 Posts |
wow didnt know that. thanks for the info
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Valued Member
United States
62 Posts |
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New Member
 United States
29 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4589 Posts |
what you cna learn in a day woow. thank everyone
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Rest in Peace
United States
2684 Posts |
Although the "Germ Theory" evolved over hundreds of years, it wasn't until the late 1850s that Louis Pasteur defined and articulated germ theory and it took many years afterward for his theory to be accepted by the medical profession, especially in the United States. It actually wasn't until the very late 1800s that germ theory became made aware of and accepted by the public at large and efforts were made toward sanitation based upon germ theory. I can see how this revelation opened the public's eyes in the early 1900s and it over-reacted by washing/cleaning or otherwise sterilizing coins. I suspect any coins cleaned before 1900 were so done for esthetic reasons rather than due to microscopic organisms.
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Forum Mom
United States
5877 Posts |
I believe coins cleaned prior to the 1900's were due to the ladies that handled the coins. Many women wore gloves then, but the coins could discolor the gloves or their hands.
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Valued Member
United States
397 Posts |
I can't remember the name, but there is a high end hotel in New York that STILL washes coins before they give then to customers. I saw it on TV a year or so back.... MM |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1247 Posts |
quote:
Originally posted by morganman
I can't remember the name, but there is a high end hotel in New York that STILL washes coins before they give then to customers. I saw it on TV a year or so back....
MM
I remember it or show similar to it. They tumbled the coins in some gadget and put BB's in it to sand-blast them clean.  |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
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Replies: 14 / Views: 1,149 |
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Posted 04/04/2006 06:12 am
