I've noticed a lot of bullion "stackers" online handling their coins with latex gloves! I've always been a traditional, white cotton gloves kind of guy. Both because I know they work and because they can always be reused. Do latex gloves effectively protect against oils from your hands getting onto your coins? And aren't latex gloves supposed to be worn only once? Are these people crazy, or do latex gloves do the job?
They would likely protect from oils but wearing them for any length of time would be uncomfortable and get the hands sweaty. I agree with you on the cotton gloves myself.
I'd be slightly nervous about sulfur compounds in/on the latex. Some quick Googling on the topic indicates that there are surface treatments that contain sulfur compounds; some manufacturers apparently think it's that, not "latex allergy", that causes some people to get dermatitis from the gloves. I routinely reuse all sorts of "disposable" gloves, because I'm not dealing with medical/biological risks, and usually not even chemical risks -- just keeping grunge off my hands. Wash the gloves like you'd wash your hands, while you're still wearing them, then let them dry. They're harder to get on and off after the initial powder treatment is gone. Stuff will surely grow in them if you're unreasonable about how long you keep using them.
Cotton fibers can scratch gold, silver, and copper coins as their hardness is the same or higher ( depending on how the cotton was treated -usually for softness vs. durability). Also cotton fibers can carry sweat from your hands to the surface after a period of use and it is the sweat -not the oils- that causes damage, why take a chance at all. Un-powdered latex are fine, but the sweat build up inside the glove and may not grip the coin well, and puncture easily. Powdered latex absorbs the sweat, but some powder can get on the outside. Pure talc is softer than the coin metals and should not damage, but who knows the quality? Nitrile are probably the best for all , tight fit, high penetration and tear resistancy *******DO NOT USE in ACETONE*******. If you handle the coin by the edges with clean hands, you have the safest and cheapest holders, just do not touch the faces. The ones on TV are try to impress the 'value ' of the coin they have in hand, they probably just throw it back into the bag after 'chump' time is over.,IMO. p.s. It is the sweat that damages coin metal and must be eliminated. Jim
"They're harder to get on and off after the initial powder treatment is gone. .." Every time I'm in a health care provider's office I grab a handful of latex gloves. Never had a health care provider deny my request for gloves. I keep a little container of talc on the counter, when kitchen gloves or coin gloves get tough to take off I sprinkle some talc inside 'em.
When I was starting eons ago, cotton gloves were the only general choice, I dropped more coins in one year than I ever have since with clean , dry, cool hands. I honestly can not remember when I last did so. Hands. Jim
No need for gloves. They cause people to drop coins. I did use cotton gloves when I was searching new $50 bags of Lincoln cents.
I had a quick look and I found nitrile gloves that specifically don't contain sulfur : Reflexx care N350: https://www.reflexx.com/en/products...x-care-n350/ Unigloves Advanced Zero GM0051: https://uk.unigloves.com/products/z...3wxbVWm8ikrw I guess such gloves should be considered "definitely safe" for ancient coin handling, right?
Sorry my links seem broken in previous post: Reflexx care N350: https://www.reflexx.com/en/products...e-gloves-accelerators-free-reflexx-care-n350/ Unigloves Advanced Zero GM0051: https://uk.unigloves.com/products/z...AgInG7RcTE38jpStmDvnGTDXITK05Vzl33wxbVWm8ikrw
I'm not sure. Both products say they're chlorinated, and while I'm not sure the chlorine could be released in coin-damaging form, I'm not sure it couldn't. Welcome to CoinTalk!
thanks! Well.. at least the Reflexx N350 are inner chlorinated, it seems, so that would already eliminate that problem. But you are right, when i read that many nitrile gloves are chlorinated, I was also a bit surprised because that is not really something i'd like to touch with my coins. Many are chlorinated on the inside and the outside, some only on the inside. So yet another thing to keep in mind when buying these nitrile gloves.
so this is an example of a latex glove that explicitly mentions exterior and inner chlorination: https://www.reflexx.com/en/products/latex-gloves/black-powder-free-latex-gloves-reflexx-44/ And here some explanation on chlorination: Chlorinated gloves: Chlorination consists of immersing the glove in an aqueous chlorine solution or exposing it to chlorine gas. This treatment reduces the stickiness of the surface of the gloves, making them easier to put on and take off, without the need to increase their thickness or use powder. Most disposable powder-free gloves are chlorinated. However, these gloves contain chlorine, which is harmful to the environment. In addition, chlorinated gloves are more expensive than powdered gloves, the alternative solution when looking for gloves that are easy to put on and remove. Finally, chlorinated gloves offer less grip than non-chlorinated gloves. (source: https://guide.medicalexpo.com/choosing-the-right-medical-gloves/ ) So i guess you really should look for gloves that are explicitly only inner-chlorinated. So let's get back at the total list of requirements of nitrile gloves for handling coins: * powder free * latex free * sulfur/sulphur free * only inner-chlorinated (no outside chlorination) Never thought i'd be a nitrile glove expert.
