How to Properly Care for and Handle Rare Coins
People who collect rare coins often assume that a cleaner coin must be a better-quality coin. That can sometimes seem true, but rare collections require particular care and handling practices. The following straightforward suggestions were intended to help collectors handle coins appropriately and preserve the collection’s condition and value.
Wear Cotton Gloves 
The original article’s main handling recommendation was to use cotton gloves whenever coins are handled. High-quality Egyptian cotton gloves were described as being sold online and at many craft or hobby shops at the time of publication. Careful handling still mattered, but gloves could help prevent fingerprints and other surface damage that may reduce a coin’s value. For anyone needing a pair, the original article linked here are some options as a starting point for a search. Additional suggestions appeared below.
Use Hand Sanitizer
Even hands that appear clean carry skin oils that can cause meaningful harm to a coin’s surface. Those oils can build up, tarnish the metal, and add to wear and corrosion on the face of the coin. Repeated contact with the face can make its details look increasingly subdued. The article suggested hand sanitizer as a way to remove much of the troublesome oil from hands.
Hold the Edges OnlyAt the time of original publication, the article described the following:
Rather than touching a coin’s face, dealers generally advise holding it only by the edges. Doing so lowers the chance that oils or residue will scratch or tarnish the metal. Holding a coin along its edges between two fingers also lets collectors inspect and appreciate its condition more easily. Although edges can still tone or tarnish, dealers typically place greater importance on the face’s condition than on the edge, whatever metal the coin contains.
Cushion the Coins
Dust and debris on a tabletop can scratch metal, damage a coin, and lower its grade. Dealers often protect a coin’s surface with a cushion or tray like those used in jewelry stores, though a soft towel or microfiber towel can serve most home purposes. This matters especially for gold coins because gold is soft and can be scratched or damaged through careless handling. Silver coins require similar caution, though to a lesser degree.
Proof & Uncirculated Coins
Gold and silver are softer metals, so poor handling can reduce their value. Still, uncirculated and proof coins are generally the most vulnerable to damage, with proof coins particularly susceptible. Even cotton gloves can affect a proof coin because fibers from the gloves may adhere to its surface. As a general practice, the best protection is limited handling, especially in the case of proof coins.
Avoid Handling the Collection
It can be tempting to pick up a collection whenever the mood arises, but rare pieces are best left inside their cases. The article suggested an airtight display case or protective mylar sleeves, commonly called “coin flips,” to help reduce the chance of harm. Plastic sleeves were discouraged because they may degrade over time and leave residue on a coin’s surface.
Such cases can also shield a collection from moisture and help prevent early tarnish and corrosion. It remains important to keep the collection in a temperate setting, since extreme temperature shifts, particularly humidity changes, can eventually cause most coins to oxidize.
Don’t Clean the Surface
A cleaner-looking coin may appear more valuable, yet the article advised collectors never to clean rare coins merely to improve their appearance. For pieces that circulated, the patina should be allowed to remain. Cleaning generally causes more damage than benefit, and altering a coin can reduce its value.
In addition, cleaned or altered coins may not be accepted by third-party grading services, including NGC and Professional Coin Grading Services (PCGS). During an appraisal, dealers generally prefer a coin showing clear age and an original surface over one that has been scrubbed clean.
When this article was originally published, readers seeking more guidance on proper coin handling or wishing to sell valuable coins or a collection were invited to contact Atlanta Gold and Coin’s rare-coin experts.
When this article was originally published, readers needing a coin-collection appraisal were told they could turn to Atlanta Gold & Coin Buyers. The article stated that the company handled appraisals from individual coins through multigenerational estate collections and could travel for larger, more valuable estate coin collections.
At the time of publication, Atlanta Gold and Coin described its experts as experienced and knowledgeable about old, rare, and numismatic coins; gold, platinum, palladium, and silver coins; bars and rounds; coin sets; and paper money.
At the time of publication, Atlanta Gold & Coin Buyers reported long-term membership in several major numismatic organizations and a commitment to the most accurate valuations possible. The original article invited readers to use Talk to us today for estate appraisal information or to arrange an appraisal at that time.
