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 Replies: 18 / Views: 4,556 |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Just had to bring this up. I've read so many posts about how to handle coins. Many say to use cotton gloves, some say your fingers are OK but make sure they are claen and the coins, only by the edges.
Almost any coin collector has seen finger prints on coins embedded to the point of never coming off. This is well known by anyone that has done anything with metals and bare hands I would think.
So to my story. On a program called History Detectives on TV they had tthis lady that had a coin in a wooden box. It was padded so to protect it. Was supposed to be in her family for a long, long time and originated from a relative that was supposed to be in one of those old wild West shows by Wild Bill. The coin was supposed to be one shot by Annie Oakly at the show. The coin was supposed to be a coin from France I thihk. It had a rounded edge supposedly by a bullet from Annie Oakly's gun.
The person from the History Detectives picked up the coin with her bare hands. Turned it over and over several times also with her bare hands. Some nice finger prints there. Then as the story went on she took that coin to numerous experts for authenticating. One coin expert noted the date and it was over 150 years old. It was noted as ppossibly Bronze. He too used his bare hands to handle that coin. A coin expert? A gun expert also was interviewed. I think he was the only one that used cotton gloves in handling that coin.
The intire story went on and anyone that looked at that coin handled it with their fingers and not gloves or anything to protect a 150 year old, Bronze coin. Everyone also handled the wooden box the same way.
Watching this made me wonder if the program is staged by fake stuff and phony experts. Possibly all made up to impress viewers. I couldn't imagine anyone that is supposed to be an expert with anything old handling it with bare hands. Or is it just me reading to many posts here? I know I handle many of my coins with bare hands but never one that is supposed to be worth more than a few cents more than face value.
I've seen this handling of rare coins with bare hands on programs like Perry Mazon and other shows too. Of course those were made way, way back when coins were just coins too.
Anyone else see things like that on TV?
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
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I couldn't imagine anyone that is supposed to be an expert with anything old handling it with bare hands. Graders for TPGs do not use gloves when they grade coins, it reduces tactile sensation. Regarding the Annie Oakley coin, it is worthless as a coin since it had been shot. Also, it is a quite common and inexpensive coin being a Napoleon III Centime, the equivalent of a US Large Cent. The value of it would be in the provenance and any possible fingerprints(or any other marking for that matter) would be irrelevant. http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetec...leycoin.html |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1151 Posts |
Even the guys on Coin Vault will pick up coins and rotate them with bare hands.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4085 Posts |
Doesn't it depend on the coin? I wouldn't necessarily pick up an MS-65 Silver Dollar with my bare hands, but I don't see any big deal picking up a 200 year old large cent that's in Fine condition. How many hands has it been through over the years? I figure one more set of hands is not going to matter.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10045 Posts |
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Anyone else see things like that on TV? Does anyone remember that Hawaii Five-O episode with the 1913 Liberty nickel? McGarrett dragged the coin across his desk with his thumb...scratch! That show is etched on my brain  |
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Moderator
 United States
16677 Posts |
Quote:Does anyone remember that Hawaii Five-O episode with the 1913 Liberty nickel? McGarrett dragged the coin across his desk with his thumb...scratch! That show is etched on my brain 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  swcoin.ecrater.com
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2335 Posts |
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Graders for TPGs do not use gloves when they grade coins, it reduces tactile sensation. I'm pretty sure graders for TPGs hold the coins by the edges. I'm also pretty sure that what just carl was talking about were the "experts" on these shows that pick up a coin with their thumb firmly planted on the obverse & a finger on the reverse. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10284 Posts |
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. Edited by TNG
10/10/2009 08:46 am
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10045 Posts |
"McGarrett mails the coin back to it's rightful owner when the owner notices a large scratch across the obverse of the coin." --at least McGarrett was thoughtful enough to tape the coin to his business card. ".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" --great ending!  |
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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
20753 Posts |
Quote:
I'm pretty sure graders for TPGs hold the coins by the edges. I'm also pretty sure that what just carl was talking about were the "experts" on these shows that pick up a coin with their thumb firmly planted on the obverse & a finger on the reverse.
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. |
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Valued Member
United States
70 Posts |
To be safe I always hold the coin by the edges. Better to be safe than sorry.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2269 Posts |
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.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
628 Posts |
I've seen "History Detectives", though not the episode Carl mentions. You'd think so called "experts" would know better, valuable numismatic coin or not.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
533 Posts |
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.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Quote:
Doesn't it depend on the coin? I wouldn't necessarily pick up an MS-65 Silver Dollar with my bare hands, but I don't see any big deal picking up a 200 year old large cent that's in Fine condition. How many hands has it been through over the years? I figure one more set of hands is not going to matter.
Sort of like saying my car has some dents on it so I'll just kick in the doors now. Another dent or two couldn't hurt.  My house sure needs painting so I'll just throw some garbage on the front porch. Makes no difference since it looks bad now anyway.  The amount of individuals that may have touched a coin is not the real problem. It's the one that has a large amount of Acids on their skin that could really mess up a coin. Ever notice how some people just don't sweat and others pump out moisture apparently by the gallon? |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4085 Posts |
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. |
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Replies: 18 / Views: 4,556 |
Posted 10/09/2009 6:02 pm
