Storing coins in baggies

my 57 has become green so i was wondering. wouldnt want that to happen to yours.

 

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just buy the safgard thingy that museums use. then the only thing ull have to worry about are the rubs.

 

It actually does work. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beilstein_test

 

Things don't happen for no reason. The reason you would get a green flame from heating a copper wire is the presence of a copper halide. The appearance of the green has to indicate a halide, and the most common halide is chloride from something like PVC. Don't know what other chlorinated polymers might be in your zip-lock, but contamination from your fingers could put some sodium chloride on the wire. This is a standard chemical test.

 

Why are they called "apple bags" ?

 

Don't doubt your word an instant, but can't explain why it happened. I will have to try it. What brand was the plastic bag and why are you sure it doesn't have PVC in it?

 

Where are you guys getting the copper wire you are using?

 

Since I work in a chem lab, it comes off a 1/4 pound spool of pure copper wire. I burn it in the flame (I use a bunsen burner) until it is clean of any color, then touch the plastic to be tested while the wire is still hot, and then return it to the flame.

 

I will take a silver coin, one that is considered only bullion at this point and clean it up. Next I'll take some pictures of it and then store it in a bag for a few months. That should determine if those bags are safe or not.

 

That could be the very reason the result are different. In a chemistry lab, the copper wire is pure unclad wire. Since much of general electrical insulation is mainly PVC based plastic, PVC could remain on the plastic. The test must be done with uncontaminated copper wire , heated to black oxide form, and then touching the material~ before the flame test. The test is usually done on powered material or salts rather than melting it on the wire, but that should make little difference.

 

I love experiments, so I'll do a few then. One in the closet, one in the bathroom, one outdoors and one by the boiler.

 

LOLOLOL !!! I AM OFFICALLY A 2X2 HOLDER ....... MAN RIGHT THIS MINUTE !

I brought a few coins in to show my co-worker. He collects as well. He dropped my BU 68s on the floor. If it was in a baggie it would have been toast.

 

I just went from 0 to I Dont Need To Hold My Coins Anymore in 1.253 seconds.