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.
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| 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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