FreakyGarrettC

Im with you. (He has more post. )

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Drusus

If it makes perfect sense to you that holding a coin in hand with soft cotton gloves will scratch the metal...more power to you I guess. I hear logic and common sense is highly over rated...

Some people also tell people who say they cleaned a coin that it is now worthless, even before seeing the coin or knowing how it was cleaned. So go figure...

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CamaroDMD

I wouldn't bet against him...he seems to typically be right.

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Drusus

It isnt a popularity contest...it isnt a contest at all. I respect GD but he is simply wrong on this. He has, in fact, been wrong quite often and when shown, he admits it...he doesnt think he is wrong here and thats perfectly fine.

You dont have to take anyones word regarding this...get some soft cotton gloves, observe the surface of a silver coin, lay the coin in your palm or hold it between your fingers, then observe the surface again...its simple...you will observe no additional scratches...its exactly what I did.

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GDJMSP

Dru, I only disagree with one part of your comment, that above. I do agree that just by laying a coin in your gloved hand you will likely not damage it. But I do not recommend doing it either. For if the coin moves horizontally across the glove it can be hairlined. It can also be hairlined by touching the surface of the coin with gloved fineger.

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Boss

Doug said earlier in this post that you should use cotton gloves and now he is saying they will scratch the coin? Which is it? I agree with Drusus. Cotton gloves will never hurt a circulated coin. Would I use cotton gloves on a proof and touch the face- no that would scratch it. Cotton gloves on the edge only. I use acetone on my hands before touching coins and washing thoroughly first (not good for my hands, but good for coins) and therefore don't usually use gloves as I have dropped coins with them. I apply mineral oil to all my mint state coins first and this eliminates this issue. The moderators will disagree with this (which is why I don't post on this site as much as I find this annoying and ignorant of basic chemistry). I used to use 100% white petroleum-Vasoline in the past, but mineral oil seems more appropriate after further educating myself and trial and error. This nearly removes any friction issues and soaks from 6 months to 1 year have removed verdigris and other problems such as bronze disease on several of my coins. If any others feel the same- go to Collector's Society's website (NGC/NCS) and read posts from the big dogs-Condor 101 and others who really now their stuff- guys with a lot of knowledge and expensive collections. Look on the chat boards and look up coin cleaning or preservation. NCS removed a finger print off my 1913 D with lots of black marks and it graded 64 BN at NGC after conservation, so finger prints can be removed. I had this coin at least 6 months and bought it with the print on it (see pics below).
I completely disagree with the moderators stance on coin preservation. I agree with every post Dru has written and disagree with nearly every counter agruement Doug or others have made. Everyone should look up the posts Drusus has written on these subjects on this site or Condor 101 on this site and Collectors's Society. Read these posts and experiment on common change and see. I have educated myself a lot on the topic in a short time. The purists stance on this site is not supported by chemistry. I have used a rose thorn and magnification to remove grime (and mineral oil) and sent to NGC and PCGS and had those coins grade. Only practice on common low grade stuff first. The 1913 D pictured, as stated had a big finger print on upper right reverse and black spots all over the coin. Don't have a before pic unfortunately.

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GDJMSP

If you read my post and keep them within the intended context it is quite easy to understand for there is quite a difference between using cotton gloves to hold a coin by the edge and touching the surface of the coin with cotton gloves.

I agree with that as well, in fact if you read one of my earlier comments you will see that say gloves are not even necessary for circulated coins, I say to just pick them up.


While you and I agree with this it appears that Dru does not. Dru says flat out that soft cotton gloves cannot scratch the metal surface of a coin just by touching it.


OK, let's be a little bit more specific here. This application of mineral oil or Vaseline to mint state coins - are you claiming that Conder101 or any of the other "big dogs" recommend this practice ? And specifically what MS coins are you talking about ?



You mean except the one where Dru says that cotton gloves will not scratch the metal of a coin ?

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CamaroDMD

Correct me if I'm wrong...but cotton gloves do help protect coins. They minimize oil being transferred to the coin and they are a softer surface. The key here are the words "help" and "minimize." It's true that cotton gloves are better, but they aren't total protection. You still have to handle the coin properly and with care.

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spock1k

here is my 2 cents coz u asked. while what you say is correct most experts use hand and not gloves. gloves are slippery (although i use them)

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spock1k

he is the king of coins although he does dive in the wrong end mostly coz thats where i allow him to jump

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Drusus

This thread is a great example of lemming type behavior that I believe gives rise to the illogical and down right laughable behaviour of some collectors...We are all human, we all make mistakes, we can be wrong or right...no one is perfect. Some people I believe are downright deceptive though most are not so on purpose. They have been told something and they assume it is true, they have never taken the time to verify. My main advice here is do not assume someone is beyond error because he is a long time collector, a moderator, is right a lot of the time, you respect him...get advice then look to confirm the advice is valid. In this case it is simple...try holding a coin in your gloved hand (softest of cotton) and look to see if you see marks after you release it...I have done this myself with an almost flawless ASE and a Krugerrand and have observed that it did NOT leave any noticable marks down to 3x magnification...When I photograph my coins I lay them flat on black velvet...I might flip them and the coin my lightly rub agains tthe velvet when doing so...never a scratch. So I can only conclude that the assertion is not correct.

I see this lemming behaviour often with the cleaning taboo, more on this forum than some others. A man comes to this forum, he has a coin he says he has cleaned and wants to know the worth. A member comes in having never seen the coin, and not knowing whether the guy scrubbed it with sand paper or simply dipped it in distilled water and informs him immediatly that 'It lost any value it might have had when you cleaned it.' This is just bad advice coming from a person who could errantly be viewed as someone who knows what he is talking about. I see this ALL the time on this forum and even the great GD will probably say the key words that would be missing in that statement would be 'harshly' or 'improperly'. But someone told this guy 'cleaning is bad' and he passes it along until people no longer will take it coin by coin, help figure out what CAN be done, they just say 'cleaning=bad'

In the end, I am fine with settling to disagree. I have handled most every coin I have with cotton gloves, I have held them flat in my palm, flipped them to the otherside while in the palm, held them between my fingers, more often by the rims when it comes to FDC and historical coins because I am also anal. The simple fact is, if I handed you this coin:



and asked you to find a single scratch made by my soft cotton gloves when I handled it and held it in my palm (where I am sure it slide a bit on the cotton surface)...you simply would not find any...thats the facts...You dont have to place your faith in me or anyone else, you dont have to reread posts and tally the amount of times I have been wrong compared to GD, you simply have to observe it yourself. If you prefer to take other peoples word for it, fair enough.

but I will leave you with the assurance that in my experience, and I have tested this...all the way up to a very light rub with soft cotton, I have yet to see a mark made on a coin with soft cloth. I would concede that with the right amount of pressure it would certainly be possible, but not just by holding them...enough said from me.

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rockdude

I'll agree here. Had a proof, now it's damage from cotton gloves across the surface. Live and learn.

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CamaroDMD

See, I think you're right. I haven't ever really used gloves. I'm just very careful when I handle a coin and I haven't had too many problems. I know I have damaged a coin or two since I started collecting...but that's how you learn.

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Boss

Doug, my apologies if I misunderstood your point about circulated coins and gloves. Some of your other points are arguing about semantics. I don't literally agreeing with everything Drusus has said- I don't even know him (do any of us know each other or all we are responding in cyberspace to people we may or have never met-weird thought?) or have all his posts memorized. Him and I disagree about proofs- so no big deal. I use mineral oil on copper coins as they are so reactive. Would not use on PL silver or mint state silver (I have on mint state silver, but can mute the luster). Yes, I believe Condor 101 and many others (see on Collector's Society Chat Boards) have no problem with oil or mineral oil soaks to removeor reduce grime, verdigris, etc based on reading many of their responses. Get on that site and read for yourself. I have had excellent results. All coins I own get pure acetone bath first and then mineral oil if appropropriate (no proofs or PL surfaces, mostly done with copper). Oil and water don't mix. As well sulfer (sulfates, sulfides, etc) are compounds which react in an ionic way with copper or other reactive metals. Oil structures have covalent bonds (equal attraction for each other) and are not reactive with such ionic compounds and will repel them. Same thing with laquer- very strong bonds that can only be broken by paint thinner. I don't have time to go reading everybody's posts to prove them with quotes-my paralegal and my maid and massage therapists are on vacation so I am real busy. That naturally was a joke!!!!!

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GDJMSP

David I've been a member of the NGC site and the PCGS site longer than I have been a member of this one. I still read them both, as much as I can. Used to post on both quite actively. But most of my time is now devoted to this site.

And I have known Conder since the days of the old Coin World forum which was before Coin Talk even existed. Same goes for those you call the big dogs. And I have read, numerous times, everything they have to say. And they in turn have read what I have to say.

And yes, I am well aware that there are those who use oils, Blue Ribbon, and many other concoctions on their copper coins. Not only to clean them, but to preserve them. It is a practice that is quite old, dates back to the 1800's. And some of the people who do this are very well known in numismatic circles. Many are even considered experts.

However, for every 1 you can find that follow these practices, there are 5 more who are just as well known and respected who will tell you to absolutely not follow them. You may count me among them for I learned in the 1960's the dangers of these practices from my grandfather who had been a collector since before 1920.

Now, all of that said, all it amounts to is a difference of opinion. Some people would rather contaminate their coins with oils and such, granted in order to protect them, than they would use modern storage methods. Which can do the very same thing by the way - without the oils.

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