Mike from Mercer

Hello all and thanks to everybody who relied. Sorry for not replying for awhile as I just cannot seem to find enough time!!!   I just can't decide what I want to do so I think for now I am just going to let them be.  I am going to separate the ones I thought about cleaning up from the "nice" ones, put the "nice" ones in flips and go from there.  Thanks again to all and a belated Happy New Year and be safe and smart out there!

Thank you, I was just going to ask to be certain as I am going to Lowes later on today.  Mike

Thank you guys, certainly things to think about.  I have a small ceramic bowl that actually has a lid to it that I am going to use.  Try 1 not so bad penny first and work my way to the worst and see what happens.  Thanks again, Mike

Hello all, A short time ago, I had posted the question about cleaning the rust? or oxidation? or "cancer" or whatever it is actually called off of my pennies.  Several replies mentioned soaking them in Acetone, also asked if I could post a picture of what I am dealing with.  I finally got to do this and have it attached here. Please let me know if this is possible, what I can expect and basically how I need to do this.  A big thank you to all for your kind help in the past I really do appreciate it.  Mike

Thank you for your reply.  Not 100% sure what I'm going to do yet but this is a definite possibility, thanks again, Mike

Hello all, I used to save all my pennies in a giant whiskey bottle and then every so often I would empty it and look for wheat pennies then roll the rest up and take to the bank.  At some point,  I rolled up and kept 1 roll of circulated pennies from each year from 1959 to 1982, P, D & S mintmarks.  I don't remember what he reason was but I did not save any more after 1988.  My question is, are they worth hanging onto or should I just take them to the bank?  As always, I appreciate your info and thank you and stay safe.

4 minutes ago, JKK said:

One other good option that's really convenient is a headset with magnification lenses you can lower. I have one of those for when working on a large number of coins. One of the best places to shop for visual aids is the one most people never think of: the local center for the blind. It stands to reason that they would have excellent selections in a wide variety, and it's also nice for one's purchase to support a worthy cause.

Hey, now that sounds like a good idea, I'll look into this also, a head set, I think I've seen these with changeable lenses, another possibility.  I knew I came to the right place for some ideas!!  Thanks to all.

6 minutes ago, JKK said:

I'd just get one of the ones that elderly people use to do their crossword puzzles and read the TV guide.

If you want to do it somewhat like a coin person (and I am not implying you should), get an inexpensive handheld 5x loupe. Dealers sell them. If you want to go whole hog, which depending on your vision might not be a bad idea, spring for a 10x loupe that sits over the coin.

Good idea,  my wife may have one of those.  She actually told me to take a coin with me and see what works. Interesting thought on her part!  Thank you.

3 minutes ago, Moxie15 said:

you do not need to get fancy. look for a Hobby Lobby or coin shop in your area should be able to get a decent 5 or 10 power for under $20.

 

Sounds like a good idea,  thank you

Hello all, Been gathering coins that I have left laying all over the house and putting them in one place, will be going through them soon to see what I have.  My nephew is coming home for the Thanksgiving Holiday and will be coming here to help the Tuesday before thanksgiving, will be a good time!!  Anyhow, he was suggesting that I get a really good magnifying glass for us both so we an see things clearly.  What is a good magnifying glass to look at coins with?  Please don't suggest a phone app as his girlfriend did, I'm not into that.  Thanks to all, be safe.

Thank you very much for your help, I have learned and am learning more as I go along.  Wife will be happy as I am actually going to work on "my coin mess" that is in various places, stored in whatever all over the house.  Coin flips are on order. Kid is excited about checking out the coins when he comes. I am sure I will repost a lot more questions as we get things sorted out, will post pictures this time!   Again, thanks to you and all for the help and I will be looking for it again when we get moving on our plan. Stay safe.

2 last questions if you would be so kind, are buffalo nickels that have the date worn off worth anything?  I have some old Whitman coin books partially filled, would it be better to remove them from book and "coin flip" them, or just leave them in book?  I really do appreciate the help on this.  THANKS!!!

JKK, Got it, in fact I am working on a plan right now.  My nephew from College is coming to stay with us a few days before Thanksgiving and staying until the Friday after, and he wants to check out the old coins and help me out.  In the meantime, With the help of my wife, we are going to amass all the coins I have "saved" that are all over the house and put them in one location, when the kid comes here, we are going to look them over and see what is what. I am sure at this time I will have some pictures to post.  Not going to clean any coins or do anything to them until I post a picture with the problem I am looking to correct.  I do have 2 glass beer pitchers that are both just about full of Bicentennial Quarters that my wife would like me to do something with and since they are circulated can I just roll these or is something else better?  A second part of current plan is to find out how to store paper money, to find out just what a paper pfennig is and what a "flip" is.  Thanks for the help and as time permits I will be searching to see what I can find out.  Looking forward to posting again sometime around Thanksgiving, Thanks again.

VKurtB, Sadly,  for some unknown reason the desire for the hunt is all but faded.  Have not gone out in a few years.

I will certainly have to give this a try.  I will post a picture or two when I go through them and put some kind of plan together for storage.  A long time ago at a coin show that I think was in one of the malls,  I bought some Whitman small coin PVC free storage poly bags, I can start using these.  Do they still they make  plastic coin storage tubes? After I see what I have maybe I could invest in some of those.  How should I store silver coins?  I have some silver dimes, quarters and a few halves that I need to properly store.  I have always heard that you should never clean silver coins, is this true?. I did hear once of a person who cleaned them with Heinz ketchup.  The Saint Gaudens was a most unexpected gift, I did not even know what it was.  Thank you to all for your help.

Yes.

Thank you vey much for your reply.  Yes, I agree, it was a fantastic gift.  I was stunned when I got it and when I called her to tell her what it was and it had value, she told me she knew and I should still have it.  Wow, never expected anything let alone this.  Again, Thank you.

Hello all, I am not much of a coin collector but I have a small pile of coins I have collected over the years such as wheat pennies, buffalo nickels, some silver dimes and quarters and a few silver dollars that I either got when I was a paperboy or accumulated through the years.  I have them in different vials etc. to store them, what is the correct way to store coins?  I noticed that some of my pennies have a green spot forming on them, what is that?  And finally my main question, I have just inherited this from a neighbor lady that I used to do little things for over the years, could just never take any money from her as I knew she didn't have it.  Her daughter brought it over and gave it to me, I am not sure what it is or why it is in the plastic case. Can some kind soul please let me know what I have?  Thank you all very much and be safe.