If you have, or come across a circulated coin; rare, collectible, valuable or not; do you handle it with gloves, picking it up only by the edges and otherwise treating it gingerly? Or do you just pick it up with your fingers, hold it in the palm of your hand and turn it over without a second thought? Remember, this is a coin that was in active circulation for several years of its life, put in a pocket rubbing against other coins and generally being treated with no respect whatsoever. I'm not talking about a BU or even AU coin - just the average <50 grade. If you found that same coin and it was covered with years of accumulated dirt and grime, would you hesitate in taking it to your kitchen sink and using dish soap and a washcloth to clean it off a bit?
Yes, because even if a coin is heavily circulated, there's a big difference between "worn" and "improperly cleaned". A VG problem-free example of nearly anything will be worth more than a freshly-hairlined and "bright" VG-details example.
How would you handle an 1893-S Morgan dollar in VG or worse yet, an 1895 Proof Morgan in the same grade? Chris
Wouldn't particularly be interested in handling either one, but I have handled much rarer coins with my bare hands. A coin is actually much safer in my bare hands then it would be if I were wearing gloves.
I instinctively pick up everything by the edge, unless I am dealing with bulk material in whiich case a small shovel gets used. Or a big handful if there are not too many.
I instinctively hold coins by the edge, the only time I would do otherwise is if I specifically want to touch the coin, e.g., my very worn 1840 cent with the date all but illegible.
I would handle it however I felt like, and if it's raw you're darn tootin' I'm gonna handle it. Unless you are a person who has genuine problems with sweaty hands, there is no defensible reason to surrender the tactile sensation required for handling valuable coins by wearing gloves. I would rather handle a raw Proof with my bare hands than gloves. The risk of dropping is exacerbated by an insulating layer of cloth between the nerve endings in your fingers and the object being handled.
Heck, I've got a nasty habit of picking up and holding things by the edges.........even slabs. Col. Sanders mits excluded.........
"The risk of dropping is exacerbated by an insulating layer of cloth between the nerve endings in your fingers and the object being handled." Or in other words, dexterity...
I didn't say that you had to wear gloves. I'm with you on that. Just don't spit too much while you're yelling at me. Chris
You must not be sleeping well. Where did you ever get a question like that? Go ahead, get more fingerprints on it. Augment the wear by putting it in your pocket and make sure you clean it with soap to remove whatever surface that might still be hanging on. Yeah, that's what I'd do...
It seems like everybody here advises gentle handling of all coins, but if you get a coin that has been handled hundreds, of not thousands, of times by others with no special care then I don't see how super handling care now is going to be warranted. Just pick it up and look it over. If it's dirty, wash the dirt off. I'm not saying it should be abused but there's no need to obsess over being gentle; it's already past that. Oh, and I sleep very well, thank you.
