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 Replies: 16 / Views: 2,353 |
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New Member
New Zealand
12 Posts |
Hello everyone, I am new to this forum but everyone here has been so helpful and it's been a pleasure. However I've got a few questions to ask and would appreciate your answers immensely. I am new to coin collecting and I have been collecting gold and silver coins. I currently have a small coin holding case lined in velvet to store my coins. I am wondering if I should get hard plastic cases to protect my coins? My grandfather cleaned my 2 sovereigns and a half sovereign with a "special" cleaner (looks like an abrasive) he received from a professional jeweler in Japan. Can't read Japanese as I'm not Japanese so I can't give you a name. I also bought an Isle of Man gold proof crown 1980, and my grandfather told me it was fine to remove it form its plastic case... from what I've heard cleaning and removing coins from their packaging are the worst sins a coin collector can commit... what is the extent of the damage he has inflicted on the value of the coins? Also, as a beginner, I would love some guidance in handling gold coins for future reference. Thank you very much everyone!  PHOTOS: http://mycoincollection.tumblr.com/Edited by InvestorDom
09/24/2011 01:15 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
642 Posts |
Welcome to CCF!   As far as the coins you've already got, we could use some pics to see how much damage may have been caused by an abrasive cleaning. Generally assume that cleaning the coin will be bad. As far as handling coins out of cases, I grew up collecting old circulated silver and loved the feel of some of the heavier coins in hand. The more circulated a coin is the less it matters whether you handle it or not. Usually hold the coin only by the edges, avoiding fingerprints on the fields. If the coin in question is of any significant grade I would handle only with cotton gloves over a soft surface (velvet tray, jewelers case, etc). Nothing worse than adding a new ding to an otherwise flawless coin.  Also, it sounds like you might be storing all your coins loose in one case. I would generally keep them separate with a 2x2 card, or individual plastic cases. Edited by rjkingston
09/23/2011 03:36 am
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Valued Member
Australia
278 Posts |
InvestorDom.
You ask some good questions for somone who is new to this.
I hope you get the answers you are looking for!
As for my reply I say dont ever clean I coin.
(i clean some of my circulation coins as they have grease and prints on them but thats it)
I am looking forward to seeing some photos of your coins though.
Gecko
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New Member
 New Zealand
12 Posts |
Thank you- however I only have a Lumix 12x HD digital camera, and I'm not sure if it's suitable for macro photography, will any sharp high resolution close up shot of the coin be suitable?
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Moderator
 United States
14463 Posts |
Try with the camera you have now. You may find a setting that works. If not, we can always make suggestions how to improve.
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Moderator
Australia
16826 Posts |
Cleaning is definitely bad, especially any kind of acidic dip or abrasive, and especially when done by a non-collector, since they usually try to make their coins "look like new", which is something that simply cannot be done.
Taking coins out of the cases they were originally sold in by whatever mint that made them is not, however, a major crime. With a few exceptions, coins are generally worth much the same in original packaging as they are outside of it - most of us collect coins, not plastic wrappers. Indeed, some cheaply made mint packaging from the 1960s and 1970s has ruined any coins that were kept in them; in such cases, it's the coins that were ripped out of the packaging straight away that are now in the best condition.
As for cleaning gold, the question that keeps running through my mind is, "Why?". One of the attractions humans have for gold is that it doesn't need cleaning - it doesn't tarnish, corrode or discolour under any kind of chemical or atmospheric conditions you're likely to encounter on Earth. You've got to dilute the gold considerably to obtain an alloy that actually is improved by cleaning, and very few coins are made of such diluted gold. The 22k gold of sovereigns and the .900 fine gold of American and European circulating coins is too pure to be noticeably improved by cleaning.
As for handling gold, it's aforementioned indestructibility means that you actually can handle gold coins with little fear of damaging them. Made-for-collector proof coins like your Isle of Man crown might have more delicate surfaces, but ordinary circulation coins can be handled with no worries. Gold is, however, both heavy and soft, so dropping a gold coin onto a hard surface will almost inevitably leave a dint behind - so always handle them over a well-padded surface to prevent this.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19949 Posts |
Welcome to CC!
NEVER clean coins!
Lincoln Cent Lover!VERDI-CARE™ INVENTOR https://verdi.care/
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3294 Posts |
Top ten things coin collectors should avoid: 10. ebay auctions that are in all caps, crazy colored text and a tiny blurry photo 9. Buying anything from HSN 8. Unslabbed Trade dollars7. Buying hundreds of $s of coins from craigslist and meeting the seller in a dark alley 6. Coin grading services that are not ANACS, PCGS or NGC 5. Chinese sellers 4. Buying "unsearched" rolls on ebay3. Selling at pawn shops 2. Cleaning coins 1. Did I mention HSN? |
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
2830 Posts |
there are only two rules for cleaning coins:
1. don't clean coins; and
2. if in doubt, re-read Rule No. 1.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5826 Posts |
Everything is said from above posts.
I would suggest wear inexpensive thin cotton gloves like the pros do to avoid fingerprints on the coins, and place the coins on a soft velvet surface in case you drop the coin.
I occasionally wear them for handling the more expensive coins.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
819 Posts |
Quote:Top ten things coin collectors should avoid: 10. ebay auctions that are in all caps, crazy colored text and a tiny blurry photo 9. Buying anything from HSN 8. Unslabbed Trade dollars7. Buying hundreds of $s of coins from craigslist and meeting the seller in a dark alley 6. Coin grading services that are not ANACS, PCGS or NGC 5. Chinese sellers 4. Buying "unsearched" rolls on ebay3. Selling at pawn shops 2. Cleaning coins 1. Did I mention HSN? Yeah, this is a really good summary. I'd like to add a few points. Never ever clean your coins is the first rule of coin collecting. Like all rules, there are exceptions to it, but learn what they are and how to do it before you attempt! Lightly cleaning a coin with 100% pure acetone to remove tape residue, PVC residue, or other non-organic remnants is generally acceptable so long as you do not rub the surface of the coin. Always rinse with pure water afterward. The point behind all of this is to prevent alteration to the surface of your coin. Hairline scratches, discoloration, etc. NEVER BUY COINS ON TV. Not just HSN, but any time you see a coin for sale on the television, it probably isn't worth it. ebay used to be a nice place to find good coins. Now it's full of ripoff chinese fakes and over priced stuff. (This isn't an absolute rule, it may just be my pessimism taking over.) I prefer to have a coin in hand for inspection before I buy. Do the research. Before you buy any coin, know what it is that you are buying and what to look for. Reading is a large part of collecting. There are two kinds of coins: Slabbed and Raw. A slabbed coin comes from a grading service in a plastic case, and can add value to a coin. A Raw coin is ungraded, uncertified, often less expensive and can be a risk if you don't know what you are buying. Be careful who you talk to about your collection! Unfortunately theft and burglary is a hazard of our hobby. The more people who know that you collect, the more opportunity for a thief to come to your home, or follow you out of a coin shop. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
And I tooooo say almost all important items have been listed here already. Not sure about that pawn shop thing since selling to them is poor but buing from them is sometimes really great. See your from another country so not even sure if they have pawn shops there. Actually may not have HSN either. Might be a decent chance to fill us in on how things are in coinage there. For instance do you have coin stores? Are there coin shows? Hobby stores that sell coins and/or coin collecting items? Do you get a lot of US coins there? Guess by now you have figured out that no one should clean coins after a few rather direct statements to that here already. If you have the time a sort of educational thing to do is go to top and use that Search tab for coin cleaning, cleaning coins, Acetone and/or anything you can think of actually. As to one thing so far not covered is sources of books on coins. I always suggest going to the Whitman Publishing web site for a list of all the coin books they publish. Also, I suggest not buying from them directly since they charge an excessively high amount for their products and yet a place like Amazon.com is way cheaper. Also, you may want to consider Albums for your coins. Edited by just carl
09/23/2011 3:53 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
968 Posts |
Saying NEVER clean coins is nonsense. But... the circumstances where cleaning the coin is a good idea are few and far between, rare enough that you may never come across a coin that needs it. Of course, some people will play semantics and say "don't clean coins, conserve them", but removing gunk, verdigris, pvc, etc. is a form of cleaning. So as a new collector the best advice would be to assume cleaning a coin is almost always a bad idea, but if you have one you really think needs it, post a picture here first and see what the experts say.
The reason I get so worked up about this statement as an absolute is that I do metal detecting and when I find an old coin it is often so encrusted with grime and corrosion as to be nearly unrecognizable. After I clean them up they usually look quite respectable.
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New Member
New Zealand
12 Posts |
Thank you so much for your help everyone! I am amazed by how friendly and helpful everyone is! I will shortly link my blog on here; there will be photos of all my coins there- and perhaps any damage can be assessed? I apologise if the quality of the photos aren't superb, but they should do.
Thank you once again!
:)
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New Member
New Zealand
12 Posts |
And "just carl"- I am from New Zealand and there are very few coin dealerships, in the city I live, there is only one stamp and coin shop which rarely received gold coins. I am good friends with the owner so luckily if anything comes up he lets me know first. Generally buying coins in person is very difficult. There are also some websites which are great and they sell a whole range of gold coins. However, I try to refrain from buying off the internet whenever possible as I like to see the coin in person.
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New Member
New Zealand
12 Posts |
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Replies: 16 / Views: 2,353 |
Posted 09/23/2011 04:20 am
