https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=126132.0from reply 19 on the above linked
thread (this is how I do it):
"Some people literally use a hammer (or a vise) to
crack and open the holder. I have never tried this method. I use an electric band saw to trim the
side and bottom edges of the holder to weaken it (but I leave some of the hard plastic edge on these three sides to prevent 'plastic dust' caused by the band saw's cutting action from ending up on the coin), then on the top edge I cut off the entire hard plastic edge (furthest from the coin so that no 'plastic dust' reaches it). Then from the top I insert a small
standard screw driver and '
pop' the holder. I then lift out the insert that holds the coin and label. At this point, simply twisting the insert slightly will often free the coin from the prongs, but I take the additional step of cutting the insert with a small wire cutter to weaken it. Then I gently pull the insert with both
hands so that the coin hole expands and the coin drops out.
My procedure is relatively quick and easy, after having done a few removals, and I've never damaged a coin (or even felt I
had been close to damaging one). I don't know how many coins I've removed from holders over the years, but it has to be more than 50 (world and ancient). I feel I have
good control with this method, but perhaps a better way of doing it will be posted on this
thread.
If you can acquire the
type of machine that
NGC uses to seal and open their holders, that would obviously be an improvement over my method.
Still, it only takes me five minutes to safely remove a coin from a holder."