Nearly complete set of Saint

Some people are really stupid.
The other day I had contact with a german collector of the Saints series.
Except of 5!! coins he owns the complete run.
Just misses the 27 D, the 32, the 1930, the 1931 and the 25D.
All coins are uncirculated.
And now the sad story beginns......
Nearly all of the coins were slabbed by PCGS and NGC, all MS.
He broke them all out because of the minimal space in his bank deposit. What an idiot, I can't believe it....my God:-\
He is not interested in third party grading, and wants to finger the coins all the time.
Imagine this: A 1926 S MS 65 piece between your creme fingered hands.
Ooops......do you feeli the same, my friends?

 

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The numismatic police should confiscate all of his coins. Or as a man named Forest once said, "stupid is what stupid does".

 

Not sure exactly why, but I'm a bit skeptical about this story. Are you sure this isn't someone wanting to make his or her collection more than what it is?

 

Grain of salt.

 

No, I do not feel the same. My concept of collecting is not defined by what some third party thinks of my coins. I know enough about them not to need someone else telling me what they are. If they're devalued to you because they're not in a TPG slab, you're not doing it right.

 

I did not saw the complete collection, just 20 pieces and two broken slabs.
But this man is 71 years old and I believe him.
I feel sad, because the coins lost a part of their value while touched by his fingers all the time

 

Keep in mind, as a noble metal gold is far less susceptible to the kinds of dangers human fingers can present to it, even in 90% alloy. It is only the last twenty years (with the advent of TPG's) that it's somehow become impermissible to touch a coin with your bare hands; prior to that it's the only way people collected. We've lost something because of it.

 

He would fit right in with ancient collectors

 

I understand where they are coming from, holding a piece of history like that your hands. And if a coin has survived the last 2000 years, then it will probably survive being touched every once in awhile. But then again, I would have a hard time putting my finger prints on a coin like the EID MAR.

 

Never a good idea to handle MS coins with bare hands IMO. Especially if they are "creme fingered hands" LOL.

 

I have to concur with at least licking the creme off your fingers first.

That said, you either have to never own raw coins, or figure out how to handle the raw coins you do have in a safe fashion. The term "safe" doesn't include gloves, because the danger caused by loss of tactile sensation far outweighs the danger of getting something foreign from your fingers onto the coin. It really shouldn't be required to inevitably state "always handle them by the rim, and wash your hands first," but that obviousness seems to escape some. And fer cryin' out loud don't sneeze.

There's a sound reason why you won't see gloves used in the handling of coins at a TPG.

 

I'm a believer in collecting how you want. I've noticed in my short time collecting coins that a lot of people like to judge how other people collect.

If you want to erase some value from your coins by cracking them out and handling them, I don't agree with it, but I'm not gonna judge you for it.

 

I just can't see cracking out a MS65 S.G. just to hold in your hands. There are plenty of circulated ones if that is your passion. I do agree that coins can be handled without damaging them, and better control without gloves, although skin tight latex gloves are better for maintaining control.

 

I don't see a problem.

 

Es tut mir weh zu hören. Aber er dürfte was er möchte. Er hat die Münzen gekauft. Sie gehören ihm. Ich würde es niemals tun, aber ich mag die Idee, die Münzen zu richtig berühren/handhaben.

 

That's right Seattlite86.
It doesn't matter, since I cannot buy his coins. Most of them are way too expensive.
And if he wants to play with them....

 

as a non-ardent slabber I totally understand the need and desire to see the coin under direct feel/eye. Looking through plastic does not give the same sense of ownership and history as looking through a piece of plastic.

Of course he could have gotten a larger SDB or pulled some other stuff out of it.

 

I'm currently inactive as an ancient collector, but still have my Republicans. However, when I was active, I was appalled at the way some ancient collectors treated their coins. I remember a couple who would come to club meetings with their coins in a leather pouch. The pouch would be tossed on the table, then picked up and dumped. Then they would start rummaging through the coins like they were looking for a good nut to crack. No way the coins would last another 2000 years with that treatment.

They were the worst offenders, but many collectors did treat their coins gently. However, there were a lot in between who seemed not know what a flip was other than something dealers used. And there were also a lot who used vinyl flips.

Cal

 

I couldn't watch, but if he has the money to do it, more power to him.

 

As a devil's advocate, isn't that how the coins were treated back in the day? Isn't there something kind of nice about being able to hold, drop, stash a bunch of coins the same way they did 2000 or more years ago? I'm not saying you need to go slamming them down on the table, but must they be treated so delicately?