Behind the looking plastic.

JulieW

JulieW

Well-Known Member
Silver Stacker
What I don't understand about coin collecting is that the coins are kept behind plastic.
One of the delights I think of collecting PMs is holding the actual material in your hand, perhaps clinking a few coins together.
But this simple pleasure is denied if one decides to collect numismatic coins.
The arrive in plastic, stay in plastic, you can look at them closely but don't touch or they can lose thousands from a fingerprint it seems.
I mean it's not like they're particularly fragile - they're metal, but the slightest little scratch or ding can equally cause a drop in value.
I picked up a 2 mark coin from a shop a while ago and I love to hold it and pass it around in conversation - where it may have been, who may have held it, owned it, spent it.
Handing around a plastic capsule with the coin just wouldn't be the same.

So can any coin enthusiasts here explaiin what is the joy of collecting a series of identical looking coins if you can only ever see them from behind plastic and can't actually hold them?
 
I like to put them in my hoard and lay on them (warmer than metal you see) then I fly off and eat some hobbits - very tasty.

Signed

A.Dragon
 
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Exactly why I keep a few naked silver coins right by the comp..I like to see the metal,touch the metal,smell the metal.
Encapsulated coins make good sense from a wealth preservation standpoint ,but they are a bit like having a shower with a raincoat on :)
 
the people who make those coins use new white cotton gloves to
pick them up, you might get away with that, i feel the same, it's like people who buy a new car and (leave the plastic covers on the seats) but when most people buy proof coins they do so for reasons of future gains. none of my collection of proofs have been out of their capsules since i bought them. mike.
 
That is a good reason to have some cheap silver. If the coin is only worth spot and already has signs of wear, then you wouldn't mind having fingerprints on them. And auspm is available for hire to clean your coins. :) But the ones that have a significant premium, you would have to be willing to lose that premium if you want to fondle the coins.
 
dccpa said:
That is a good reason to have some cheap silver. If the coin is only worth spot and already has signs of wear, then you wouldn't mind having fingerprints on them. And auspm is available for hire to clean your coins. :) But the ones that have a significant premium, you would have to be willing to lose that premium if you want to fondle the coins.
Click to expand...

Lol, I've had no other offers since Stella to clean silver... I guess people don't like the idea of handing over their metal without some form of collateral which is fair enough.

I handle my silver regularly. I don't invest in numismatics, it's too hit and miss for my thinking.

So if it's just the metal content we're talking about, who cares about a few finger prints?

Give the metal a cuddle. Being hands on with your wealth is (as stated) one of the most satisfying aspects of owning it!
 
AusPM where is your silver cleaning service located. Perhaps postage is an issue for potential customers
 
sorry for being a bit off topic, but how much does silver cleaning cost for say a 10oz bar?

my 10oz PM bars have these marks on them, you can see them when i take a flash pic of it. would a cleaner be able to get rid of those marks to make it look more like the 1kg bar?

silver22.jpg
 
i hope this is not to of topic but why my 10oz bars not tone ive got silver coins that came roughly around the same time and are not in capsules but are toned please explain
 
JulieW said:
What I don't understand about coin collecting is that the coins are kept behind plastic.
One of the delights I think of collecting PMs is holding the actual material in your hand, perhaps clinking a few coins together.
But this simple pleasure is denied if one decides to collect numismatic coins.
The arrive in plastic, stay in plastic, you can look at them closely but don't touch or they can lose thousands from a fingerprint it seems.
I mean it's not like they're particularly fragile - they're metal, but the slightest little scratch or ding can equally cause a drop in value.
I picked up a 2 mark coin from a shop a while ago and I love to hold it and pass it around in conversation - where it may have been, who may have held it, owned it, spent it.
Handing around a plastic capsule with the coin just wouldn't be the same.

So can any coin enthusiasts here explaiin what is the joy of collecting a series of identical looking coins if you can only ever see them from behind plastic and can't actually hold them?
Click to expand...

From my perspective the attraction lays in the actual collecting of the item. Not the actual handling so to speak. Working on putting a quality Penny set IS the challenge. Getting a better grade, filling a gap, finding a bargain in amongst the pile you where given etc... This is what attracts me.

There is of course the point of getting the best quality and admiring the workmanship that went to produce the dies. When you look at any of the Pre-Decimal proofs they are a different craft to now. You look for fine details and different variations in mints. A dot somewhere can make all the difference.

You also have the history in some of the really older stuff. Take the proclamation coins these where part of currency, to tokens and then in 1910 an Australian currency followed in 1911 by the Penny and Half Penny. You don't know who has handled them and what the history is, in some cases there is providence and so on.

Bullion is one thing, collecting is a totally different different sport. So to preserve this you need to handle them and fingerprints, drops, scratches etc... can have huge consequences, If they are stored well and correctly you can see all the detail which os what you are after. The tactile feel of the coin is not required. However I do have plenty of the bullion grade pre-decimal that I enjoy clunking around with :)

Finally I started not that long ago after reading some books and got the Silver bug and was pretty Bull Silver, but now most of it goes to collecting instead. As I get more enjoyment from it in those areas.

Hope that explains a little of the differences to me.
 
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