Plastic Coin Tubes

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by jallengomez, Apr 13, 2010.

  1. cpm9ball

    cpm9ball CANNOT RE-MEMBER

    Tom, you're confused. You use a hammer on Maine lobster (claws). You use a nutcracker on Maryland crab (claws). I didn't expect someone who eats steak at a separate table to know that. (Insert ROFL emoticon here)

    How is everything with you?

    Chris
     
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  3. Tom B

    Tom B TomB Everywhere Else

    I guess I deserved that one.:bow: Here is a true story to let you know that my eating steak at a serperate table while you, Bob and Barb had crabs at the "grown up" table is not that unusual for me. When my wife and I first started to date we would go to Japanese restaraunts and she would order sushi while I would order steak.:rolling: I was an idiot. Finally, I tried maguro (tuna) and sushi is now our favorite date night dinner.:eat:
     
  4. cpm9ball

    cpm9ball CANNOT RE-MEMBER

    Well, you've got me there. I'm not a fan of sushi. When Shane and I were at the Lakeland show, we found a great place for steak, Harry's Bar & Grill, and if you're ever in my area, there is an Armenian (I think) restaurant that has a great steak dinner, too!

    Chris
     
  5. krispy

    krispy krispy

    How do you not damage at least one coin on either end from pushing/applying pressure on the end of the stack of coins?

    Changing the humidity of the environment is likely the best and least threatening option to prevent damage. The idea posted above regarding corrosive build up on the coins increasing their size in the tube over time is a very plausible factor preventing release.
     
  6. Just Carl

    Just Carl Numismatist

    Beer is primarily water and water has a unique property of both expanding and contracting as it is cooled. In other words as you chill water down to a certain degree, it contracts. Then it starts to expand again and continues to expand for several more degrees. This is why Ice floats since it has expanded and now takes up more space than the same amount of water.
    As to those tubes a possible slight amount of heat from a hair dryer may expand the plastic enough to allow the coins to come out. Worth a try but there too is one small problem. Heating the plastic should make it expand but that means it could expand, or try to, in both directions meaning the plastic itself would now become thicker and would attempt to expand inward as well as outward. Might be worth a try but remember that to much heat could well start a toning effect on the coins as well.
    Another possible problem could be in the actual composition of the plastic. If really old, manufacturers didn't know how some substances could effect coins back then and may have added something to the plastic to make it mold easier. Heating the plastic may make this substance leak out onto the coins.
    All sounds like some great fun in experimentation though. Pending on the value of the coins, I almost wonder if adding a slippery substance into the tube could make the coins slide out. But then too such a substance could effect the coins.
    There is always a Butane torch as a last resort though. :D
     
  7. jallengomez

    jallengomez Cessna 152 Jockey

    These are the hard, clear plastic tubes. I know this can't be that unusual, as three of the four tubes came from three different sources. We're talking about 1959-D and '60-D sd here, so if one or two coins get damaged it won't be a tragedy.

    There is no visible corrosion to the coins in the tubes. The rolls look pristine, and the edges of the coins inside, as well as the two end coins of each roll look pristine. The freezer method didn't work, so I'm thinking tonight I'll try some type of heating method.
     
  8. Lugia

    Lugia ye olde UScoin enthusiast

    i say put them in a old raggy towel and hit em lightly with a hammer till they start to crack. they should crack easy being brittle and warped.
     
  9. ldhair

    ldhair Clean Supporter

    This problem has came up on the forums many times over the years.
    I had to deal with this on about 200 rolls. The hot and cold thing never worked for me. The best way I found was to remove the lid and wrap them in a wash cloth and slam them flat on a hard surface, till the tube cracked part.
    Sometimes just a single crack would allow the coins to come out. I never damaged a coin doing it this way. I would love to here a better way.
     
  10. jallengomez

    jallengomez Cessna 152 Jockey

    Thanks. I'm going to try that, because the hot/cold thing is not working for me either.
     
  11. bobbeth87

    bobbeth87 Coin Collector

    This method has worked for me as well. I've never had a whole tube do this, but several times I've had 1 to 2 coins stuck at the bottom. A nice slam did the trick, and with the towel, no damage to the coins.
     
  12. Conder101

    Conder101 Numismatist

    The early clear plastic tubes from the 50's and 60's over time do outgas something and they do shrink. The cooling method will work but your typical home freezer does not get cold enough to work or work well. (If you can find a commercial freezer that gets down to 20 to 40 below zero that should work.) The simplest way is if you have access to someone who works with or has access to liquid nitrogen. Take a bowl of liquid nitrogen and simply place the roll in it. (Using tongs) The tube will literally break up into small pieces because the cold makes it brittle and it tries to contract much faster than the mass of metal can cool and contract. If it doesn't break up completely remove the tube and tap it lightly with a rubber mallet and it should fall apart. (Liquid nitrogen is often available from welding suppl houses. It's neat stuff but dangerous if you don't know what you are doing.)
     
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