Taking Coins Out Of Slabs

Carefully! I have freed about 15 coins in the last 2-3 months, all franklins. I started with a fine tooth hack saw. That was not a good idea-although I got the coin out with scratching it, it was pretty scarry. Since then I have used a dremel. They work great and really no chance of hurting the coin. I heavily score three sides of the slab then use a pair of pliars to crack off the sides. Pretty easy and not nearly as scary as using a hack saw on a $200 coin.

I find the easiest is, take pliers break off 1 corner with the pliers then carefully pry open with a screw driver. It is similar to graded sports cards.

This topic has come up before and this method works great.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf6nyVmuHvg

It is as easy as it looks. I used my pair of bolt cutters to crack open my PCGS MS63Rd 1970 S small date Lincoln. It worked just like it did in the video. You would think it is over kill to use the big bolt cutters, but it works. There is another video that shows using a pair of tile nippers to do the job also.

It's not hard to do.Just use good judgment and stay away from the coin itself.Use anything that will cut all the way though the slab,dikes,band saw ,screwdriver,whatever.It will seperate.Just do it over a towel,where it can't roll off a table onto the floor....
Cheers,Brewzz

A Butane torch will simply melt all the plastic off the coin. Of course there will be a lot of dripping of plastic so do it over a table so the floor doesen't get all messed up.
If you use a Dremel type tool it should be the type with a variable speed control. Going through plastic at high speeds will usually make the plastic hot and remelt back together. Using pliers, hammers, etc are dangerous due to flying pieces of plastic and then too, those little pieces all over the place to clean up. Sticking a screw driver into one could also slip and hit the coin. Not good for coins you know.
I've opened many of them safely and with no pieces flying around. I use a variable speed saber saw with a medium toothed blade. To many teeth, metal cutting blade, will basically remelt the plastic similar to high speeds. Large toothed blades, Wood cutters, will do more in shattering than cutting. With the proper blade you can simply cut off all edges and no problems.
A Dremel type tool, Sears also has a similar one, is OK but really should be a variable speed one. There are several types of blades made for them in cutting. One looks like a regular circular saw blade. Those usually will get blocked up with plastic fast. There are circular blades made as if they were for cutting cement. Looks like a sanding disc but really hard. Those will work the best but those too usually will accumulate plastic. Those too should be used to cut off all edges.
DO NOT STICK SCREWDRIVERS OR OTHER TOOLS INBETWEEN TO OPEN.
Of course you could just drop them from tall buildings. If they hit edgewise, will open easily.

I use a bench vise to open slab. I put a corner of the slab in the vise and tighten until I hear a crack. Then I go to the next corner. I keep doing this until I am able to open up the slab. It's worked well for me.

My advice is buy inexpensive coins in all the TPG holders and experiment. Sometimes, as in the case of NGC or PCI (DGS) graded coins, a vise is fine. PCGS could be a little tougher. Most of all, be careful!