Torn about what to do with Lucite encased US silver coins.

GillyWI

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Bought this off eBay for a pretty good deal, with shipping it was less than melt value! And they look really nice but of course are embedded in a Lucite toilet seat. LOL. I could just leave them alone, the wife wants them out though, I think it just creeps her that it's a toilet seat of all things. I have read on the methods to do it, I just don't know if I really want to since they are untouched I think since the mid 60s. And if I do pop them out, what is the best way to preserve? Airtite containers or???
 

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The wife may appreciate it more if you put the seat down when you're done. :lol:

I don't know how you could get those out without damaging them. Fire?
 
I would think either heat, chemical or cold is the answer. Cutting would/might work if the blade dose not gum up. The coins would be bonded to the Lucite so slow heat to melt it away or try freezing and smash with a hammer or better yet, liquid nitrogen then smash with w hammer.
Acetone would melt/soften the Lucite if you could soak it or cut up smaller pieces.
 
I definitely vote for cutting each coin into its own block. Might turn out to be easier than you think from there. Cut as close as you can to the coin without damaging it. The Lucite will not bond as well to the coin as to itself, that means the plastic should peel away from the coin fairly well in one piece.

Take a few pics during the process to share with us:D
 
The methods I am not really concerned about, more debating whether to do it or not.
YES I can't believe it, this is old, they are all 90%, dimes are all 1964, quarters are almost all 1963, may be a 1964 in there, Kennedys are all 1964, a couple Franklins in there too, a 1963 and a 1961. Everything looks unc., some toning in a few.
 
Right, since everyone wants to talk about doing it, not IF I should do it, yeah I had thought that, or I probably could do it without a pilot at all, a lot of them seem to be close to the surface not really in the middle. That's on the bottom, which is a bit thicker that the lid. The lid seems more in the middle. What I have read is high speed and Lucite don't mix, have to go slowly to avoid heating it up or it gets gummy. Probably I'll use a brace (hand crank) and a couple different size hole saws, unless the cost gets to be too high.
 
Yes, you should do it..:laughing:

The heat and getting gummy isn't an issue because the cut and finish of the plastic it not what your final concern is.. That gummy stuff is brittle once it cools..

Before you tackle the entire seat, maybe you can find a paper weight/pen holder one with any coins, at an antique store to experiment on...

<°)))>{
 
Just makes a mess, probably wouldn't help the saw much either.

Picture frame w/mother in law, oh boy you touched a raw nerve there, LOL, great idea. Not sure how wife would handle that though, LOL
 
I can't believe you bought that. A few years ago I almost bid on one, then thought...."someone's butt was on that" Grossed me out too much to pull the trigger. Leave it as is. If you're after silver, the amount of time wasted trying to get those out of a toilet seat, is worth more than the savings relative to melt values. Plus you'll likely make a mess, ruin the coins and realize no savings at all. And your wife will probably not like the mess.

BUT, if you're going to do it, I would think cutting it down into smaller pieces, then dropping them into pure acetone, might melt the Lucite off.
 
I don't think you can't get them out with out damaging them.
If you like it then leave it be.
Cutting out sections, may or may not work.. Don't know if you can buff the Lucite after cutting.
if it was me, I would just melt the lucite and cash the coins for melt.
 
I am thinking they will unbond from the Lucite. Cut as close as possible to the edge and a good rap on the side will separate. Still undecided, no big rush to do it, maybe even next winter project. Not enough time to detect much less screw with it. but thinking on it, just got it a week or two ago.
 
it is pretty cool. I have never seen one before..
The guy who owned it must have really loved coin collecting. (no one will ever spend these!)
 
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