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 Replies: 13 / Views: 1,435 |
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Valued Member
United States
355 Posts |
I keep reading that you should always wear gloves when handling your coins, but does everyone here really follow that advice?
I am not at all doubting oil and whatnot from your skin can mess up a coin. But for where I'm at with my collection I see gloves as overkill and wouldn't wear them unless I came across something special. If I'm wearing white cotton gloves I feel like I should be handling the Stanley cup, not some 1980 Lincolns.
For me I collect a few things. I hoard pre-82 copper, I'm working on modern circulated US sets, and I am am working on rolls of gem circulated Lincolns and Jeffersons. When roll searching I do look for keys, errors, varieties, dd's, etc too. However for all of these things the only time I use hand protection is when I'm inserting these circulated coins into a dansco or a whitman so I don't put a huge thumb print on them to sit there for 50 years. Also, I DO wash my hands every hour or so and only handle the coins' edges.
As my collection improves I'm sure hand protection will be more important but right now it's low on my priority list.
My questions for those more experienced:
-For what types of coins in your collection do you personally put on gloves when you handle them versus going bare-handed? What's your 'line'?
-If I'm collecting rolls of gem circulated coins, I only handle the edges, and often wash my hands is that enough to protect these coins from myself (excluding other long-term preservation methods)? Will I be kicking myself for this 50 years from now for handling these coins like this?
I'm interested to hear what you all have to say on this topic.
Thanks.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1256 Posts |
I got some cheapo disposable gloves as a holiday gift. The ones that get dirty get demoted to roll duty. But once I've pick out a cent to keep as BU and after it's xylene bath, its clean gloves only until I can get it put up and safe.
And it's not just the cents I'm protecting. It's nice to be able to pull off the gloves and do other stuff without worrying about it.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
810 Posts |
I feel its very important wearing gloves. Who knows that 1980 lincoln could be the Double Die. One finger print I feel can really reduce the value of a coin. I feel fingerprints are very unattractive on a coin. As far as germ wise handling coins I dont think you have anything to worry about. Do you wash your hands every time you grab money out of your wallet. Probably not. Theres more germs that can harm you on a one dollar bill than coins I believe.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1348 Posts |
I do not wear gloves. I simply wash my hands before handling my $250+ coins. Anything below that isn;t worth the trip to the bathroom for me.
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
The greater the coin's value, the less likely I am to trust even the tightest nitrile glove to give me the traction and feel of the coin I need to hold it safely. There's a reason why TPG graders don't wear gloves. |
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Moderator
United States
16677 Posts |
I only wear white cotton gloves when putting coins in my Dansco. Other than that, I wash my hands with a non-perfumed soap like Ivory.
swcoin.ecrater.com
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Valued Member
 United States
355 Posts |
Quote:There's a reason why TPG graders don't wear gloves. Coincidentally I also watched PCGS's promotional video today and their graders are not wearing gloves...as they're inspecting multi-hundred dollar gold coins. I found that very interesting. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
539 Posts |
short answer I usually do not wear gloves.
long answer is since I collect mostly circulated world coins, it seems a little counterintuitive to be wearing gloves after upwards of 1000s of people have already handled the coin. Now for those uncirculated sets I acquire, I typically just handle very carefully by the edge.
What I find to be concerning is that each coin even what would appear to be the cleanest coin (natually clean of course) ever, tend to leave trace residue (maybe just dust) on the gloves and I quickly find that I have handled 5 coins, 5 2x2s, a pair of scissors and now my gloves are no longer white. Quite the hassle (and expense)
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Pillar of the Community
United States
880 Posts |
That's a fun fact about the TPG graders... I've seem some complaints from people about some of their slabbed coins coming back with finger prints too. I'm sure it's a rarety, but I'd be pretty hot. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
I handle all my coins with Welder's gloves or those gloves worn for smow plowing with multi layers of who knows what. And also I use large metal tongs with serated edges to hold coins better.  In real life I've never worn gloves when handling coins. I am really careful with coins and I wash my hands with some really good soaps. I just am way to afraid of dropping coins using any type of gloves. Never have used gloves on coins in well over 60 years and I think it's a little late to start now. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1256 Posts |
We no need no stinking gloves!  |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
2448 Posts |
Only when handling proof or unc coins.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1388 Posts |
In my opinion, just when I look through things of "value", not when roll-searching... Just a matter of knowing how to "properly" handle coins... Unlike who handled the coin in the above pic |
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Valued Member
United States
260 Posts |
I wear cotton gloves when handling high grade coins. No sense risking a huge ugly fingerprint on an otherwise beautiful clean surface.
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Replies: 13 / Views: 1,435 |
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Posted 03/30/2011 4:14 pm
