I found clear latex rubber gloves without powder from CVS. Any issue to use them to handle coins? I even bothered the pharmacist to make sure they didnt have any pvc in them, which they dont.
I've seen people use rubber gloves to handle coins. I think it would be better to invest in cotton cloves though.
I handle the heck out of my coins, both modern and ancient. Why would you collect something and not be able to touch it? Btw, none of the graders at TPG use gloves, nor do major dealer really. If its a modern coin that can leave fingerprints just be careful and handle on the edges.
It may be best to simply say that one should always handle by the edges, but an excellent point nonetheless. I have never seen a reason to use any type of gloves for the same basic reasons the TPGs, although I do believe it wise to have a soft surface available in case you accidentally drop a coin.
I thought these gloves were good for 2 reasons: 1. For health reasons. I get buckets of coins from newstands, delis and such. Of course they are dirty and after handling 1000 of them, my hands are black. And then 70 to 80% of them are not keepers and end up going to coinstar. 2. For handling BU coins when transferring them from a roll to holder, holder to holder etc .... They are very cheap and disposable and if there is no chance of damaging the coins, why wouldnt I use them. Plus they are right around the corner from me. I would have to order cotton gloves.
But I get to "play" all I want with my ancient coins sir. Great point about a soft surface though. I dropped a cracked a crystallized denarius once. It was already crystallized, but still made me cringe at the thought of what I had done.
Oh yes... guess I was not thinking about who I was responding to. I've not the faintest idea what this is, but I'll take your word for it that this was bad. Dexterity. Think about it and I believe you will see that gloves can actually help to cause the damage you are trying to avoid. If digging through change/rolls, I see no problem in doing whatever makes you comfortable.
Personally, I have 4 rules for myself when handling coins. 1: Always hold it by the edge. 2: Don't breath directly onto it. 3: Don't handle with dirty/greasy sweaty hands. 4: Handle only when necessary such as when putting it into a (new) holder or changing holders.
You should get out more and collect some ancients. I cannot tell you how wonderful a feeling it is poring through junk boxes all day until your hands are a filthy mess. Its like you are 8 again!
I still free handle the "junk box" stuff. My post was regarding my "higher end" ($50 up) coins. Speaking of ancients I'm bad at attributing them. I have one in my collection and when people ask me what it is I answer: "It's ancient Roman and it's bronze. That's all I know. :too-funny:
Gloves, typically, are a newbie thing or a selling point for certain sellers. The problem with "gloves", be they cotton, latex, rubber or skin from the underbelly of a newborn lamb, is that they lessen tactile sensation thereby prvoding more opportunity to drop a coin. Additionally, with this false sense of security, more "touching" of the coins surfaces are occuring. Cotton gloves can and often do leave little cotton filaments when the gloves get snagged on the sharp edges of a proof coin. Personally, I prefer handling my coins with naked hands.
The damage im concerned with is getting oil and fingerprints on the coin . Dropping a coin is a completely different issue that im dealing with by only handling the coins in my zero gravity chamber.
I have a few ASEs from the late 80's and early 90's that I bought a little while back that have black marks on the reeding from someone handling them without gloves. It must have been one sweaty/greasy kind of person, but they're unmistakably from someone handling them at some point in time. If I get a chance this evening, I'll take a few photos of them. It shouldn't be hard to find them, because the black marks are prominent enough that I can actually see them through the CoinSafe tube I have them in. The sight of these ASEs is what prompted me to start wearing gloves when handling .999 fine bullion coins and proof coins.
I'm not gonna deny that what you are describing can happen. But if a person simply washes their hands before handling the coin, that issue will be avoided. But what surprises me is that you are concerned about possibly getting finger oils on the edges, but yet you have no concerns about keeping these coins in a coin tube ! That just amazes me.
Yep... they are just bullion coins, and a few marks won't effect value one way or the other. I think it might just be distracting to the owner to see the black marks through the coin tube.
Why is that? They offer decent protection. Of course they are just bullion coins, so I'm not going to have them slabbed. I don't mind if they develop a natural tone, I just really dislike uneven toning that borders on damage.
Why ? Because it just strikes me as being odd, and I think it would strike most anyone as odd, that you would be concerned about minor edge toning, but yet not care that the coins would get marked up from being stored in tubes. But, if that's how you feel - OK.
You are missing out on one of the greatest pleasures of owning ancient coins, the tactile connection. Take it out, feel the weight, feel like it feels to handle a coin just like they would have 1600 years ago. If you have clean hands I promise you will not harm them. The thick patina formed on these will protect them.
I'm not trying to argue here, I'm just trying to understand your point and I want to make sure I'm not damaging my coins. How do coins get "marked up" from being in tubes? I don't drop them in one by one from the top, I gently stack them up on a soft piece of microfiber cloth and slide the tube down from the top. Then I lift the stack of coins and the tube from under the microfiber cloth and turn the tube right side up. Then I cap the tube and place it in the safe where it will stay for many years. Yes, I understand the tubes are not 100% air tight and I understand the rims of the coins may rub against each other a little when the tubes are being moved, but these are bullion coins. They are not proof coins. The main things I'm trying to avoid are uneven or unsightly toning and visible damage, and I prefer having them in tubes for long term storage versus loose or in slabs or in folders. That's all, nothing more...
