The 101’s of Handling and Storing Collectable Coins
All too often experienced coin collectors see collectible coins mishandled by new collectors or by those who’ve received coins as gifts and just don’t know any better. The feeling of watching coins get unintentionally mistreated is cringing. And nearly every coin collector who’s been around for awhile can describe it.
My biggest personal "shock" in handling coins was when I gave a proof coin as a gift. A proof coin is specially minted with polished planchets and dies and is struck multiple times so it shines more and has great looking detail. They’re always released in protective cases to help preserve their quality.
Several years back I had given a proof Silver American Eagle to a friend. I soon discovered he liked it so much that he carried it around in his pocket. Unfortunately, he took it out of its protective case and handled it just like any other coin! I was, to say the least, initially amazed. I just assumed he’d know to keep the coin protected and thought he knew the coin holder wasn’t just fancy gift wrapping.
