Are The Pelican Air Cases Safe for Silver and Gold Coins?

DeutscherGeist

Dear Coin Crusaders,

I am not sure if Pelican cases are common in this hobby as they are in some others (like photography). Their water resistant and practically airtite characteristic makes them seem good for storing coins (one would add desiccant inside too). The older pelican cases were made with a compoud that also included polypropylene, which is a common archival material. Now they are making a new line of lighter cases called Pelican Air that uses a different compound. Not sure if that is safe for silver. Any insights?

Boosibri

I dont think you need the environmental protection of the case for inert metals like gold and platinum but especially copper would benefit.

neildrobertson

I'd be most concerned about what the foam inserts are made of rather than the case itself.

pruebas

Those cases scream “steal me” in airports. Internationally, they attract unnecessary attention from Customs officials.

When I travel, I purposely look like a peon.

DeutscherGeist

Pruebas,

I understand what you mean. What I had in mind was to have one no larger than a carry-on size to store coins, not to use it for travel. It makes it convenient to carry around the house and appreciate that portion of a collection more often compared to the ones locked in a safe not within arms reach. Pelican cases are being used by many folks in the sportscards hobby -- that is where I got the idea from.

A lot of professional photographers use Pelican cases for their equipment and bring it on board the plane. Customs Officials know this and its easy just to open it and show them the equipment and be done with it. I would not worry too much about Custom Officials as long as you packed your own bags and know the laws of each state or country. Having "Pelican" in big bold letters on the case could attract criminal elements and that is where the problem comes in.

amwldcoin

I know quite a few coin dealer who use them and a couple that sell them.

pruebas

@amwldcoin said:
I know quite a few coin dealer who use them and a couple that sell them.

And I know quite a few that use PVC flips too.
That doesn't necessarily mean that it's a good idea.

DeutscherGeist

Looking at the Pelican website, the new material is stated to be: Super-light proprietary HPX²™ Polymer

So far, I have not found any information as to the archival qualities of this material. Should be fine for gold and platinum, but silver and copper is another story unless they were placed in a safe container already and then put in the Pelican case.

pruebas

@DeutscherGeist for off-gassing, I’m more worried about the interior materials (lining, glue, maybe the high-density foam) than the shell.

Maybe call Pelican and ask them about HPX?

DeutscherGeist

Pruebas,

Calling the company directly is worth a try and I can report the results here. There is no lining in the Pelican case, it is fully made of the HPX Polymer. There is an option to have the foam insert, direct types of padding or nothing at all. The foam would not be glued into the case at all, it is just inserted. However, I have seen foam that turns into sticky mush after 10-20 years. I can express my concerns with Pelican and see what they say.

amwldcoin

They are not being used for long term storage! I would buy a couple, and probably will when they are priced where I think they should be!

@pruebas said:

@amwldcoin said:
I know quite a few coin dealer who use them and a couple that sell them.

And I know quite a few that use PVC flips too.
That doesn't necessarily mean that it's a good idea.

DeutscherGeist

Here is the composition for the newer lighter Pelican cases (example: Model 1535)

Body Material: Proprietary Polypropylene Blend
Latch Material: ABS
O-Ring Material: EPDM
Purge Body Material: ABS
Purge Vent Material: Hi-Flow Gore-Tex 3 Micron Hydrophobic Non-Woven
Foam Layer 1 (Lid): 2.03" (5.2 cm) - Convolute
Foam Layer 2 (Base): 3.75" (9.5 cm) - Pick N Pluck

Here is the composition for the older Pelican cases (example: Model 1510)

Body Material: Polypropylene
Latch Material: ABS
O-Ring Material: Polymer
Pins Material: Stainless Steel
Foam Material: 1.3 lb Polyurethane
Purge Body Material: ABS
Purge Vent Material: 3 Micron Hydrophobic Non-Woven
Foam Layer 1 (Lid): 1.81" (4.6 cm) - Convolute
Foam Layer 2 (Base): 0.50" (1.3 cm) - Pad
Foam Layer 3 (Base): 2.63" (6.7 cm) - Pick N Pluck
Foam Layer 4 (Base): 2.63" (6.7 cm) - Pick N Pluck

I know there is not a lot of information regarding the insert materials, but I did email the company with my questions. The above specifications are from doing a deep search on their website. It is interesting that the new material for the body is a polypropylene blend, not just polypropylene, which is an archival material.

pruebas

Maybe best to get the old style (assuming they are still available).

Generally I'm not too concerned about environmental conditions. Collectors of old, many whom we venerate today, kept their coins in wooden trays exposed to the elements of say, a smoking room (where the men congregated after dinner), often with a fireplace, and other environmental toxins. And we highly value the patina of those very coins today.