Well, those are the caveats aren't they. And it's not a case of - a Q-Tip will absolutely damage a coin - it's a case of a Q-Tip might damage a coin. That's the reason it should be avoided. Now I'll give you a challenge. Take any freshly minted coin you like, thoroughly rinse it in distilled water and acetone so as to remove any and all contaminant particles from the coin. Then take a freshly washed and clean cotton cloth and rub the coin repeatedly for 10 minutes. Then try and tell me there is no difference in the coin. Rubbing a coin repeatedly with cotton will absolutely polish the coin - every single time. You know it, I know it, and pretty much everybody knows it. But there are still those who will say - cotton can't scratch metal unless the cotton is contaminated with something.
Friction creates wear, no matter what you use. On another note, which weighs more, a pound of feathers or a pound of gold?
That is somewhat a strawman response, though, since I did not read that physics or anyone else that I read is referring to a constant 10 minute abrasion process while using a q-tip or any cotton cloth....I am referring to a 100% cotton cloth, of course. Of course constant friction has a reaction on anything. Challenging the q-tip scenario, and doing so by throwing down a 10 minute requirement glove gauntlet, is football refereeing in response to a badminton game.
My point is quite simple, cotton, even clean cotton, all by itself can scratch the metal and damage a coin. That much is undeniable. Now as for the Q-Tip issue. This is what Jason (physics-fan) said - "Of course if you're using a dirty Qtip with particles embedded in it, you're going to scratch the coin." Given that, if you are using a Q-Tip to remove something from a coin, the very moment that you touch that something with the Q-Tip, foreign particles become embedded in the cotton. That is also undeniable. And this, in Jason's own words, makes it possible for that Q-Tip to scratch the coin ! That is the danger, that is the risk you take by using Q-Tips. Now if you are extremely careful, you may get lucky and not scratch the coin. And even if you are rolling the Q-Tip as you move it, you must also almost immediately pick the Q-Tip up and throw it away. Otherwise those particles embedded in it are going to come into contact with the coin - and quite possibly scratch/hairline it. The better solution, the wiser choice, is to not use Q-Tips at all. And I say this because if a simple rolling of the Q-Tip across the surface, with no rubbing whatsoever, is capable of removing material from the coin, that very same material can be removed simply by holding the coin by its edge and swishing it around in your solvent. And this poses no risk whatsoever to the coin ! But it accomplishes the same job - and safely ! And yeah, sometimes you may need to soak the coin for a while so that the material will come off by swishing the coin in the solvent - but all that requires is patience.
Water and wind erodes rock though friction and abrasion over time. same way a waterfall will dig a hole and polish the rocks below or waves rounding stones on a beach and breaking them down eventually smooth and small while doing it. Just being honest, when I'm roll hunting I'll run a circulated coin under the faucet, or rub it on a shirt or something, I'm not too picky, whatever I'm doing isn't going to change much compared to what it's already been through, I wouldn't mess with a MS or Proof coin though. LOL
True, but the water and wind erosion comes from the wind/water dragging tiny abrasive grit over the rock. The moving air/water itself does not do the erosion.
I don't want to use Q-Tips on valuable coins. My interest was more about the effects of fabric and paper for storage, and the Q-Tips claims seem relevant. If Q-Tips can truly scratch coins, then probably anything can.
If possible I'd like to get some clarity on the science of abrasion, especially regarding the claims that cotton can scratch metal coins all by itself, without any contaminants whatsoever. Does anyone know the physics there? How does it work? Is it something that would be time dependent, requiring a long period? On the arguments about water and wind abrasion of rock, well, I'm not sure if that's a valid argument. The processes involved there might not be relevant to the cotton on silver phenomenon. For one thing, if it's true that the abrasion is caused by the silt, sand, rocks, etc. carried by the water or wind, then the argument is definitely invalid. But even if that isn't the case, the true processes involved might still not apply to the cotton and coins case for other reasons. Human intuitions about scientific phenomena are often inaccurate, hence my post. I'm trying to understand what's really happening. In general, the "How do you think coins get worn down / canyons get carved?" sorts of arguments aren't valid. Those comments don't tell us anything directly about how cotton might scratch metal. They're just a crude sort of spitballing where the fact that canyons get carved by water or something is supposed to justify a specific belief about cotton magically scratching metal. But of course it doesn't actually justify that belief, and it could never override direct research on the cotton and metal situation.
I didn't want to use Q-Tips on coins. It's more that it's such a strange claim that Q-Tips can scratch metal, and it's relevant to what I actually wanted to do – fabric and paper packaging and storage materials. You guys have pretty much convinced me not to use paper packaging, but the paper I had been thinking of was acid-free kraft or just pure cotton rag, like the premium resume papers.
