by Mossy » Fri Apr 01, 2011 11:55 am
Speaking of cold, this one is a bit risky. Bundle the coins in a wadded up paper towel and put on a styrofoam plate or in the bottom half inch of a polysteryn cup. Put on some heavy, rubber gloves. Turn a butane cig lighter refill cylinder (or "greengas" soft pel canister) upsidedown and press against the coin to release the gas. Wait about a minute and drop the coins on something hard, like a cement floor. Most glues become very brittle when frozen like that and should shatter. Let the coins warm to room temperature before picking them up.
You could use a CO2 cylinder instead, but I'm not going to try it. Too dangerous, and the cylinders cost too much.
I don't think it's worth buying anything to do this. The coin in the middle is probably a Canadian or some other "fake silver", and, even if it is, what would it be worth? Go with the hot water first.