Whether you’re a novice or intermediate coin collector, the importance of preserving and maintaining your coin collection can’t be understated. By learning how to handle your coins, you preserve their value and ensure mint condition for decades. If you’re unsure how to keep your coin collection in tip-top shape, here are a few principles and ideas to guide you.
When customers visit us at London Coin Galleries of Newport Beach, we share a lot of this information with them, until we meet in person, enjoy these tips:
Handle Your Coins Properly
One of the most damaging substances to coins is the oil and acid in your skin. Every time you handle a coin with your bare hand, you can potentially ruin the finish of the coin — something that can cause irreversible damage.
If you want to handle the coin, you should ideally use a cotton glove or cloth; if you want to hold the coin with your bare hand, hold the coin by the edge, which can reduce any wear. When you handle a coin, you should also hold it over a cloth or other soft surface. In the off-chance that you drop the coin, it won’t get damaged when it lands on the ground.
And although a shiny, new coin may look more valuable, never polish a coin. In most cases, polishing the coin can drastically reduce its value. If your coin has debris or dirt caked on it, avoid harsh metal cleaners and stick with soap and water.
If you have some valuable coins, you may also want to consider a fireproof safe or a safety deposit box. This will protect your coins from thieves, curious kids, natural disasters, or fire.
Buy the Right Tools
Just like any other hobby, numismatics requires you to have the right tools for the job. Some of these tools will allow you to preserve the value of your coin collection, while others can aid you in purchasing higher-quality coins. Before you add more coins to your collection, purchase these items:
- Cotton gloves for holding and handling coins
- Swivel-head lamp to look at coins more accurately
- Coin reference book
- Albums and coin holders
- Magnifying glass to inspect coins
Store Your Coin Collection Correctly
If you want to preserve and maintain the value of your coin collection, store your coins properly. A coin album, binder, and coin holders are particularly effective at keeping your coins away from harmful elements while also allowing you to view them with ease.
Keep Your Documentation in Order
Documentation and certificates of authenticity add intrinsic value to your coins. When you purchase a coin, and it comes with these items, keep them just as safe as the coin itself. Again, a safety deposit box or a safe can quell the headache of trying to keep your coin collection away from pets, kids, or curious parties.
If You’re not sure, Ask
Aside from these tips, one of the best ways to preserve and maintain the value of your coin collection is to ask someone who’s done it for years. For multiple decades, London Coin Galleries of Newport Beach has been the go-to Orange County shop for collectors everywhere Book an appointment with us to sell, buy, or trade coins and precious metals.
You never know what tips you might get that can improve your coin-collecting prowess.
