I’m posting this thread in the hope that someone will learn from it and NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE THAT I MADE. I was handling an old AU silver coin that is valued at more than $100. It was my coin and I was handling it in my house. This coin had remained in AU condition for a couple hundred years. As a coin collector, it is my duty to protect & preserve the coin for future generations of coin collectors. [Every member of the ANA probably knows that this is one of the rules that you agree to when you become a member of the ANA]. Back to my story- I had removed the coin from its 2x2 in order to take a photo. I used my standard wooden toothpick to slice open the window of the original 2x2. I then carefully handled the coin and was finished with it. THIS IS WHERE I MADE MY MISTAKE. Instead of immediately putting it into a new 2x2, I made the awful mistake of sliding it back into the original holder & went to bed. Sometime later (it might have been the next day or the next week), I moved that 2x2 and the coin fell out & hit the floor. It is a soft carpeted floor but the coin bounced around & contacted something hard. I knew it hit something because I heard the sound of metal striking metal. I couldn’t believe that I dropped a beautiful piece of history & probably turned it into a problem coin. After saying the usual prayer, I picked it up & examined it to find no damage. I thanked the coin gods & put it into its new holder WHICH I SHOULD HAVE DONE BEFORE! The moral of this story is; Don’t leave a coin laying around in a broken flip or 2x2. You can forget that it is unprotected & drop it like I did.
Good advice Collect. Thanks for the reminder. I've done pretty much the same thing as you, but never damaged a coin through my carelessness. I was lucky as you were. Bruce
I'm sure you will probably never make that mistake again. Here is a tip for others that will help to keep this from happening. If you need to remove a coin from a 2x2 or a flip, for whatever reason, take a pair of scissors and cut it open - between the staples and the mylar window of the 2x2 or around the edges of the flip. Why risk possible damage to a coin just to try to save a 2c piece of cardboard or an 8c piece of plastic? Just put the coin in a new one! Chris
If we still had Post-of-the-day, I'd nominate this one. Thanks for taking the time to post this helpful reminder.
I cut the clear plastic with my thumb nail then remove the coin. Once I pulled the staples and the coin slid across where the staple had punched thru the cardboard and got a nasty scuff mark. 2x2's can do some damage be careful...
I bought this 1914-D with what looks like a staple scratch from a previous owner. Seeing coins like this one is what promts me to break the window rather than slide the coin out.
NOOOOOOO! coins are fun! Have fun with your coins! Do this instead of putting them in little plastic coffins never to be able to see their friends again.
i remove the staples in 2x2s before placing coins in airtites. i save 2x2s that have a price or other information written on them unless i trade or sell the coin myself.
Hey since we are on the topic of dropping stuff, never try to catch a gun if you drop it!!! Many accidental discharges occur every year when people try to catch a firearm on the way down and inadvertently snagging the trigger! Ignore this for coins, go matrix if you have to on the way down! Anyone have a group of pennies explode out of your finger while searching? LOL - It defies physics I tell you!!!
