Proper Care and Handling for Rare Coins

For people who collect  rare coins, it can be easy to assume they may be handled like bullion coins, whose worth comes from their metal content. That assumption is not always appropriate. Because rare and numismatic coins often carry values well beyond bullion values, careful handling is important for helping preserve a rare-coin collection’s condition and value over time.

This article originally set out practical guidance for handling coins, including practices to avoid, with the aim of protecting a collection’s quality and value for years ahead.

Wear Cotton Gloves

The article’s primary recommendation for handling coins was to use only cotton gloves. High-quality Egyptian-cotton gloves could be found online or in many craft and hobby stores at the time of publication. Careful handling still mattered, but gloves could help prevent fingerprints and other surface problems that may reduce a coin’s value. For readers who needed a pair, here are some options was presented as a way to begin looking. Additional suggestions follow.

Use Hand Sanitizer

Even hands that appear clean carry skin oils capable of causing meaningful harm to a coin. Those oils can build up, tarnish the metal, and contribute to wear and corrosion across the face of the  coin. Repeated contact with the face can gradually mute its features. The original guidance noted that hand sanitizer removes much of these troublesome oils.

Handle Only the EdgesAt publication,

Instead of touching a coin’s face, dealers generally advised handling it only by its edges. This approach lowers the chance that oils or residue will scratch or tarnish the metal. Holding the piece lightly between two fingers along its edges also lets collectors inspect and appreciate its condition more easily. Edges can still tone or tarnish, but dealers typically place greater importance on the face’s condition than on edge condition, regardless of the coin’s metal composition.

Provide a Soft Cushion

Debris or dirt on a tabletop can mark the metal, harming a coin and lowering its grade. Dealers often placed coins on cushions or trays like those used in jewelry stores to safeguard the surface, though a soft towel or microfiber towel was described as suitable for most home use. This mattered especially for  gold coins, because gold is soft and can be scratched or damaged through careless contact. Silver coins need similar care, although generally to a lesser degree.

Proof and Uncirculated Coins

Gold and silver are softer metals and may lose value when handled improperly, but uncirculated and proof coins were described as particularly vulnerable to damage—especially proofs. Even cotton gloves may affect a proof coin’s surface because fibers from the gloves can cling to it. As a general rule, the article advised limiting how often coins are handled, with particular restraint for proof coins.

Limit Collection Handling

Handling a collection whenever the impulse arises can be tempting, yet the article advised leaving rare pieces in their cases. It suggested keeping a collection in an airtight display case or in protective mylar sleeves, commonly called “coin flips,” to reduce the possibility of damage. Plastic sleeves were discouraged because they may deteriorate over time and leave residue on a coin’s surface.

Such cases can also shield a collection from moisture and help prevent early tarnishing and corrosion. The original guidance also emphasized keeping coins in a temperate setting, since severe temperature shifts—particularly changes involving humidity—can eventually cause most coins to oxidize.

Do Not Clean the Surface

A cleaner-looking coin may seem more valuable, but the article cautioned collectors not to clean rare coins simply to improve their appearance. For coins that circulated, their patina was described as something to leave untouched. Cleaning generally causes more damage than benefit, and changing a coin in this way can reduce its value.

Coins that have been cleaned or otherwise altered may also be declined by third-party grading services, including NGC or Professional Coin Grading Services (PCGS). During an  appraisal , dealers generally preferred a coin showing clear age and an original surface over one that had been scrubbed until clean.

When this article was originally published, readers seeking further coin-handling guidance or hoping to sell valuable coins or a collection were invited to contact Atlanta Gold and Coin’s rare-coin experts.

At publication, readers needing a coin-collection appraisal were told they could turn to Atlanta Gold & Coin Buyers. The original article said the business handled appraisals ranging from individual coins to multigenerational estate collections and could travel for large, more valuable estate coin collections.

The original article described its experts as having years of experience and extensive knowledge of old, rare, and numismatic coins; gold, platinum, palladium, and silver coins; bars and rounds; coin sets; and paper money.

The original article further stated that Atlanta Gold & Coin Buyers were long-term members of several major numismatic organizations and were committed to the most accurate valuations possible. At the time of publication, Talk to us today was offered for learning about estate-collection appraisals or arranging an appraisal.