How I Finally Solved the Stuck Penny Tube Problem After 6 Months of Trial and Error

I spent six months wrestling with stubborn penny tubes—and failed every way imaginable. Maybe you’ve been there: rolling a tube between your hands, hoping, praying, the coins will finally budge. I’ve been in that exact spot. Here’s what finally worked for me, after plenty of mistakes.

I’m a Lincoln Head penny collector, mostly drawn to mid-century dates. A few months ago, I scored several rolls of UNC 1960s cents—all sealed in original plastic tubes. Thing is, these were the vintage “Shrinky Dink” type: yellowed, brittle, and tight. Over time, the plastic had shrunk like a dried sponge, gripping the coins like a vise. I tried freezing, hammering, twisting, even brute force. Nothing worked. For half a year, I hit a wall. Then, I cracked it.

The Problem: Why Older Coin Tubes Become “Shrinky Dinks”

Those 1960s–70s tubes? They’re made from a soft, flexible polymer—nothing like today’s stiff, modern holders. Over decades, this plastic naturally contracts. It’s not just aging; it’s material science in action. The polymer shrinks more than the copper inside, creating a near-vacuum seal. That’s why shaking it, tapping it, or freezing it does squat.

I learned this the hard way. It’s not about weak hands. It’s about thermal expansion. Plastics expand and contract more than metal when heated or cooled. So, freezing? Makes the plastic stiffer. Heating? Now we’re talking. But not all heat works.

My First Attempt: The Freezer & Hot Water Method

Classic advice: “Freeze it, then scald it and tap.” I tried it. Four hours in the freezer. Boiling water. Hard taps on a towel. Nothing. I tweaked it—longer freeze, hotter water, even banging it harder. Still nothing. The coins didn’t move an inch.

Lesson: Thermal shock works on new, rigid tubes. But shrunken, aged plastic? It’s already contracted. Cold just tightens its grip.

Attempt #2: The Vice & Pliers Approach

I wrapped a tube in a towel, clamped it in a vise, and used tape-covered pliers to twist the cap. The cap came off. The coins? Stuck. Like glue. I tried hammering the tube, open-end down, on the counter. After 15 minutes and a sore wrist, one penny finally fell out. Just one. The rest stayed put.

Takeaway: Force is exhausting, slow, and risky. You’re one slip away from scratching a rare date or hurting yourself.

The Breakthrough: Heat Expansion + Controlled Pressure (The Real Solution)

I dug into material properties—thermal expansion coefficients, specifically. Here’s the key: when heated, plastic expands faster than copper. That means the tube loosens while the coins stay put. But I couldn’t melt the plastic or fry the coins.

So I tested three heat methods:

Method 1: Boiling Water Bath (The Winner)

I placed the tube upright in a pot, filled with water just below the rim (to avoid water entry), and brought it to a gentle simmer—small bubbles, not a rolling boil. After 3 minutes, I removed it with tongs, held it with an oven mitt, and gave it a gentle tap on a towel.

Five pennies slid out. Clean. Undamaged. Two more minutes in the water, and the rest followed. The bottom two? A quick 30-second reheat at the base, and they popped out.

Why it worked: The plastic expanded faster than the copper, breaking the seal. Simmering, not boiling, kept water out and preserved the coins. This is now my first move.

Method 2: Oven (Too Risky)

I tried 150°F for 10 minutes. The plastic softened, but the coins stayed stuck. At 180°F, one tube started warping. The risk of melting or distorting? Too high.

Verdict: Inconsistent and dangerous for valuable coins. I won’t use it again.

Method 3: Hair Dryer (Fast but Inconsistent)

Two minutes of high heat, rotating the tube. The top coins wiggled free, but the lower ones? Still stuck. Plus, prolonged heat can discolor plastic or even affect coin surfaces.

Only works for shallow tubes or partially stuck coins. Not reliable for full rolls.

When Heat Isn’t Enough: The Acetone Experiment (And Why It Failed)

Desperate, I soaked a tube in acetone for a week. Online forums said it dissolves old plastic. It did—too well. The tube turned into goo. The coins were still trapped in the residue. Cleaning them with isopropyl alcohol took hours. One coin picked up a chemical smell. Ugh.

Acetone is unpredictable and damaging. Never again.

Alternative: The Hacksaw & Screwdriver Hack

For tough cases, I used a hacksaw blade to cut a thin vertical slit along the tube—stopping just before the coins. Then, I slid in a wide flat-blade screwdriver and gently pried it open.

It worked, but demanded steady hands. Pro tip: Draw the cut line with a pen first. Use a sharp, new blade to avoid jagged edges that could scratch coins.

The Pipe Cutter Hack (For Thick-Walled Tubes)

Some tubes, like the Meghrig brand (known for thick walls), resisted the saw. I grabbed a small adjustable pipe cutter. Clamped it 1 inch from the top, tightened just enough to score the plastic, and rotated slowly. Two full turns. Loosened the cutter. Tapped the tube on a towel.

The plastic cracked cleanly. The coins fell out, unharmed.

This is fast, precise, and safe—if you go slow.

// Quick Pipe Cutter Setup (for 10-coin tube)
1. Clamp cutter 1 inch from top
2. Tighten until blade just bites plastic
3. Rotate slowly—3 full turns
4. Tap tube on towel—coins should slide or break free

Long-Term Lessons: What I Wish I Knew From Day One

• Not all tubes are the same: Soft vintage tubes shrink. Modern rigid ones don’t. Check your tube type first.
• Heat beats cold: Expanding the tube (heat) is better than shrinking it (cold).

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• Give it time: Simmering for 3–5 minutes is key. No shortcuts.
• Protect the coins: Avoid hammering, harsh chemicals, or high heat. Condition matters.
• Do the math: Is $0.50 in time worth freeing 50 cents? For common cents? Maybe not. For pre-1982 bronze or rare dates? Absolutely.
• Store right: Once opened, transfer coins to modern archival tubes. No repeat fights.

Real Results: What Worked (and What Didn’t)

After 27 tubes and six months, here’s my real-world data:

• Boiling water method: 18/27 tubes (67%)—success, no damage
• Pipe cutter: 6/27 (22%)—100% success on thick-walled tubes
• Hacksaw + screwdriver: 2/27 (7%)—rescued partially stuck coins
• Acetone: 1/27 (4%)—total failure, cleanup nightmare
• Freezer/hammer: 0/27—zero results

The coins? Mostly 1960–1963 Lincoln cents. Many were UNC. A few were pre-1982 (95% copper), worth more than face value. Best of all: a 1961-D with full wheat detail—tiny, but a real find.

Conclusion: A System, Not a Single Fix

There’s no magic trick. But after half a year of trial, I’ve built a reliable process:

1. Start with a 3–5 minute simmer in boiling water.
2. If stuck, try the pipe cutter (for thick tubes).
3. For partial release, use the hacksaw + screwdriver.
4. Never use acetone or brute force unless it’s your last option.

The real lesson? It’s about the materials. You’re not fighting stuck coins. You’re outsmarting aging plastic and static copper. Heat wins. Patience wins. And now, you know what I learned the hard way.

Your coins are waiting. Go free them—the smart way.

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