How can coins be removed from slabs?
Coins can be removed from NGC, ANACS, PCI etc. holders without great difficulty. An even simpler technique works for PCGS holders. Wear safety glasses or goggles when performing either method! General Method Tools required: vise, hammer, chisel; safety glasses or goggles Method: Secure the slab in the vise along either long side. The vise should overlap only enough plastic to ensure that the holder is secured (1/4 inch or so). Tighten as necessary to avoid slab movement while you’re using the hammer and chisel. Position the chisel in the seam between the two pieces of plastic near the upright corner further from the coin. Carefully tap the chisel with the hammer until the plastic pieces separate. Ideally, the chisel will wedge between the two pieces and can be used to pry them completely apart. Carefully remove the coin from the separated/fragmented plastic. PCGS Tools required: lineman’s pliers or wire cutters; safety glasses or goggles Method: Position the pliers along either long si
Always wear safety glasses or goggles when ever removing a coin from a slab or hard plastic case! Until recently, coins could be removed from NGC, ANACS, PCI etc. holders without great difficulty. It was even easier to remove coins from PCGS holders. Numerous complaints from dealers & other customers (who found the slabs cracked too easily in storage or in shipping) prompted many of the slabbing services to improve their plastic encasements. This has resulted in the newer cases being much harder to open or “crack” than earlier slabs from the same service. General Method (used for most recently slabbed coins) Tools required: vise, hammer, chisel; safety glasses or goggles Method: Secure the slab in the vise along either long side. The vise should overlap only enough plastic to ensure that the holder is secured (1/4 inch or so). Tighten as necessary to avoid slab movement while you’re using the hammer and chisel. Position the chisel in the seam between the two pieces of plastic near the
