Feb 17, 2019

How to properly handle ancient and collectible coins



As I explained in an older post, it is not recommendable to clean ancient coins, because it is very easy to unintentionally damage them in the process. Much better is not to let ancient coins get dirty in the first place! Thus it is very important to properly store and handle the coins in a collection to prevent them from suffering damage which, if accumulated over time, could lead to their value decreasing.

One of the most common mistakes when handling a coin is to simply hold it in your hand and touch its faces with your bare fingers. On the contrary, a coin should always be held by its edges, never by the faces. One of the most common ways coins are damaged is when someone touches their surface and leaves dust that can generate scratches on the surface or traces of skin oil that can corrode it.

It is very important to wash your hands thoroughly before handling ancient coins. However, even when fingers are clean, a coin should always be carefully hold by the edges trying to avoid touching its faces. If coins are regularly hold without proper caution their surface will over time show signs of wear.
 
Inadequate way to hold an ancient coin 

The ideal way of handling an ancient coin is with special cotton gloves. Of course this is not essential if the precautions mentioned in the previous paragraph are taken.

Never use latex or plastic gloves! They are not suitable for handling ancient coins because they often have dust or lubricants that can pollute or damage the surface!

It should be noted that, when wearing gloves, there is a greater risk of accidentally dropping a coin, so special care must be taken to avoid this to happen. The best is to place a thick, soft cloth under the coin while holding it, so that if it slips or falls, it will not be damaged by the impact on a hard surface. A soft cloth will also prevent it from rolling.

Ancient coins are precious relics of the past and it is our responsibility to take care of them so they can be enjoyed by future generations of collectors.

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