is the only choice for professional coin dealers and serious collectors. Slabs are among the bulkiest coin holders, so storage can become a problem.FIGURE 4-5: Slabs, good for storing and trading coins.
Coin album: A broad range of prices, quality, and levels of protection. Various types are available for the coin collector (see Figure 4-6), including basic albums with holes in which the coins are pushed, albums with vinyl pages, and albums in which coins are placed in holes that are protected on both sides by plastic slides. Most albums and folders are designed for specific collections (Lincoln cents, peace dollars, and so on). Albums and folders are especially suited for lower-grade circulated coins (worn coins). The empty holes urge you to continue collecting. Albums and folders make organizing and displaying your collection a cinch. This option is the method of choice for most beginning collectors.FIGURE 4-6: Coin albums for storing coins in sets. Paper folders will eventually tone your coins; also, only one side of the coin is visible. Vinyl albums may leak PVC. Improper use of the slide-type albums can leave damaging slidemarks (hairline scratches) on the surfaces of your coins.
Tube: Very convenient and relatively inexpensive for storing and protecting large quantities of coins. Coin tubes are used to store rolls of coins of various denominations (see Figure 4-7). Some tubes are round and clear; others are square and opaque.
FIGURE 4-7: Tubes for storing large quantities of coins.
Keeping Away from the Cleaning Products
I remember the day when a nicely dressed man in his mid-40s came into my coin shop with a complete set of peace dollars he wanted to sell. The man explained that his father had painstakingly built the collection over many years. He inherited the coins after his father died. Now, many years later, he was curious to find out how much more valuable his coins had become.
Before I opened the album, the man pointed out that some of the coins had become tarnished over the years, so he had cleaned them to make it easier for me to see what they looked like. Hearing that, my heart sank. Sure enough, when he opened the album, I saw rows and rows of bright, shiny peace dollars. But they were too bright and shiny; all were obviously scrubbed and cleaned. Once beautiful, high-grade coins, now they were pieces of junk worth a fraction of their former value. A very disappointed person left my store that day.
Most coins should be left alone, but some coins cry out to be cleaned. The following coins could benefit from a cleaning, but all need to be treated differently:
Coins found by metal detectors
Coins that are extremely dark and tarnished
Coins that have developed film from spending too much time in a vinyl coin holder
Coins with tape residue or some other localized problem
Removing dirt
Dirt is an abrasive that will scratch the heck out of a coin if you’re not careful. Never rub, never scrub, and never polish; always use a light touch. Follow these steps to remove dirt:
1 Use an artist’s paintbrush to lightly whisk off any surface dirt.Be careful not to exert any pressure.
2 Rinse the coin under warm water to remove additional surface dirt.Don’t rub the coin between your thumb and forefinger.
3 After rinsing the coin, pat it dry with a soft towel.Avoid pressure and any rubbing motions.
If you have really crusty and dirty coins, soak them in olive oil for a couple of days; then try picking the dirt off with a toothpick. Again, be careful not to exert too much pressure; the toothpick may scratch your coin.
Handle with kid gloves
Several years back, a dealer friend of mine handed him a well-struck (nearly perfect) 1913 Indian-head nickel with full, complete details, and he asked whether Ithought it was a coin made for circulation or a coin that had been specially prepared for collectors (referred to as a proof). The two men were standing at the reception desk of a hotel, and as Iturned the coin over to examine the other side, it flipped out of his fingers and fell about 4 feet to the hard tile floor. Besides feeling like a fool, Iwas even more upset to discover a big bruise on one of the rims of the coin. The bruise destroyed much of the coin’s value and desirability. Suddenly, the coin was most certainly a proof in my friend’s eyes. I was forced (shamed, actually) into buying the coin for a lot more than it was worth — especially for a coin that no self-respecting collector would buy. He found out a lot about handling coins from that lesson, including this: If you break it, you own it.
The following techniques prevent embarrassing and costly damage to coins. Make sure to practice each of these techniques with every coin you handle.
Wash your hands before touching
Whatever is on your fingers will be transferred to the edge of the coin you’re handling. Coins hate sweat, doughnut glaze, potato-chip salt, hamburger grease, and just about everything else, so wash your hands before you handle those beautiful coins.
Ask before removing a coin from a holder
Different dealers use different holders, often in different ways. Many collectors keep their copper coins in felt-lined pouches inside a small paper envelope, for example. The pouches have a single opening. Some collectors place the pouch into the envelope so that the coin slides right out of the pouch when the flap of the envelope is opened. (I call this approach the straight-on method.) Others turn the pouch so that the coin is locked in, even when the envelope is opened. Here’s where the problem lies: Some collectors turn the pouch to the left; others turn it to the right.
Watch out for the holder
Without proper care, even the simple act of removing
