Strange as it may sound, collectors will tell you the one thing you never want to do to a valuable coin is touch it. OK, you can hold it by the edges, but when the front or back is touched, the oil from fingers can discolor and permanently affect the surface. Some formerly valuable coins have been all but ruined because a fingerprint is visible.

That's something of a drag considering the whole allure of collecting is the beauty or fascination of an object. And, as humans, we just can't ...

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