Hi everyone, I am pretty new to coin collecting. On a recent visit to my girlfriend's family, I spent a few hours with her father checking out his sweet collection. When we visited my parents shortly thereafter, I asked if they had any old coins laying around, and if they would like to "donate" them to me. To my surprise, my parents had a hoarde of old coins stashed away, including some gold and a boxful of foreigns! I ended up sacrificing a 1911 gold $20 piece in really nice condition to my brother, along with a sweet 1929 gold $2.5 piece, so that I could obtain the rest of the pieces. I haven't had much time to look and evaluate, but my favorite is a 1856 $2.5 gold piece that looks to be in very nice condition, and is quite striking to my eye. There are also some really neat foreign coins from my mom's grandmother, and I have no idea as to where many of them come from, and certainly no idea as to how much they're worth. Looks like I need to buy a Krause book? That seems to be the standard for foreign coin identification, from what I've read. Whoops, I am way off my intended topic... just wanted to share my new enthusiasm with you! Oh BTW, I made my brother promise to get his pieces graded and slabbed, and to not touch the surfaces! Anyway, here are my odd questions: 1) Are there any lighting conditions that I should be aware of that could be damaging to coins? That is, should I keep them out of direct sunlight, for example? I can't think of any good reason to do so, but I want to make certain before I put anything on display. 2) Are there certain glove materials that would be more damaging to coins? I have latex gloves in my lab that I was planning on using for handling the coins, but I want to know if these would be problematic. Should I buy some cotton gloves instead, or some other fabric, or doesn't it even matter? Thanks for your help! I look forward to utilizing this community as I begin my new hobby! ~neuron
Howdy neuron - Welcome to the Forum !! 1 - Yes - sunlight can and will damage coins, especially if they are stored in the wrong type of holder. But never leave your coins where direct sunlight can fall upon them. 2 - The best gloves to use for handling coins are pure soft cotton. They can cheaply purchased at just about any good supply store. Now some other comments, as you said you told your brother - do not touch the surface of the coins. Coins should be handled by the edges only - even when wearing gloves. NEVER try to clean your coins. Don't try to make them shiny - don't wipe them off - just leave them alone. Place them in a good, quality coin holder and then admire them. Try to store your coins in a place where the temperature does not vary much - cool ( not cold ) and dark are best. It is wise to store your coins with silica gel packs in the same container - like in a safe. Heat and moisture ( condensation ) are the enemies of your coins - even if in coin holders. Good luck pal - and welcome to the greatest hobby on the planet Oh yeah - I look forward to pics
Welcome to the forum Neuron. You have posed some very insightful questions. The standard advice is "Buy the book before the coin", but since you would need two volumes with a combined cost that could well exceed $100, for just the two 18th Century-present Krause volumes, I would recommend modifying that rule to "First consult the book in your public library and make sure you have a lasting interest in world coinage before investing in your own set of Krause books." As a matter of fact that is probably a very good idea. Sustained exposure to ultraviolet rays can adversely affect the coloring and patination of coins. Keep those latex gloves as far from your coins - especially the silver ones - as you can! The standard for coin-handling gloves is white cotton. No matter what you use, only handle your coins by the edges, to avoid noticeable rubs and scratches which can adversely affect the value - sometimes hugely. And we look forward to your participation. Edited to addI see Doug gave you some of the same advice while I was still typing.
Welcome neuron. Those are some great kin folks you have there. Hope you'll jump right in and become a regular poster to our group. There are some great folks here, and they like nothing better than talking coins.
Welcome to the forum and the hobby, Neuron. Feel free to jump right in with any questions, comments, or pictures of your coins. (We love pictures and can't get enough of them)
Thanks for the great advice and warm welcomes! I will try to be as active as possible on the forums. I have a lot of academic responsibilities right now, but I am hoping to make some time for learning about my coins and the hobby in general. I will at least read the newest posts on a (hopefully) daily basis, and will add to conversations when I can!
