How Do You View Your Coin Collection At Home?

Shane6596

At home, my viewing sessions are usually sitting in recliner and looking with naked eye or a loupe. Small flashlight to see some details if needed. I dont have a dedicated desk or area at this point. I just grab a few and check them out.

I travel for work ALOT, so im in hotels quite a bit. I usually take a couple different coins, maybe 3-5 and a loupe with me and look them over while killing time before bed.

Just wondering what each of you have for setups.

I'm picturing some of you with full desks of coins, lights, microscopes, computer screens.

Edited to add, the coins i take on the road with me are not high dollar coins. The fear of losing them or having them stolen is real.

humanssuck

I sit in a dark closet like this to view my coins:

TomB

All in the SDB so I either look at them at the bank or look at them on a computer screen.

oih82w8

First thing I thought of;

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=l3rBBRIVYsc

I kinda had a mash up of the OP first sentence...naked...recliner...

lermish

I have a couple of lamps and a magnifier in my home office. The bulk of my collection is at the bank but I'll bring some home from time to time to have a look. But mostly Trueviews.

OAKSTAR

Man, if you're traveling for work I would leave my coins at home. Just take your loupe with you and hit local banks along the way for rolls.

yosclimber

My favorite is to use my stereo microscope - it's the best thing for viewing raised features like die cracks,
which are the types of coins I like the most.

FlyingAl

I usually leave my coins on my desk at home. Whenever I'm doing homework or something at my desk, I can always take a quick break and look at some coins.

I used to always keep them locked up, but I just hated that. I want to view my coins in hand, not on a screen.

I also am always experimenting with photography techniques, so having coins always at the ready to try something is a great help.

lilolme

coinbuf

I have the bulk of my collection in the SDB, so other than a few that I may have out of the bank at any given time I mostly view the amazing photos that Mark Goodman has taken for me.

MidLifeCrisis

@TomB said:
All in the SDB so I either look at them at the bank or look at them on a computer screen.

Ditto.

DisneyFan

I found a bank with more than one private room which allows me to view my coins in peace. Private rooms at banks are pretty scarce these days.

TurboSnail

Things to Look Out for When buying meat viewing coins
The color of the meat coin. The right color depends on the type of meat coin you are buying. ...
The smell. ...
Look for clean strike. ...
The coin surface. ...
Coin texture. ...
The sell-by date. ...
The use-by-date.

Eric_Babula

This thread is making me kinda sad. What has come of this world where we can't keep our coins at home and look at them in hand anytime we want? Look at them in the bank or on a computer screen? Is that what coin collecting has come to?

Mr_Spud

I view my albums at home, and sometimes new purchases
until I take them to the sdb, like this

And I view my slabbed coins digitally on my phone and ipad like this

lermish

@Eric_Babula said:
This thread is making me kinda sad. What has come of this world where we can't keep our coins at home and look at them in hand anytime we want? Look at them in the bank or on a computer screen? Is that what coin collecting has come to?

Uh, I don't think that unsavory characters trying to take nice things that aren't theirs or the rightful owners taking precautionary steps to protect their belongings is anything new. Pretty sure the situation predates written history.

TomB

@Eric_Babula said:
This thread is making me kinda sad. What has come of this world where we can't keep our coins at home and look at them in hand anytime we want? Look at them in the bank or on a computer screen? Is that what coin collecting has come to?

You do you. I'm quite happy with the arrangement I have with my collection and wouldn't want it any other way.

AdamL

I usually keep from 2-5 coins sitting around near where I sit most often at home. I have a loupe, redbook and laptop (With which I can easily view all of my slabbed coins and some of my raw ones) all within arms reach as well. Newest purchases are almost always included in the ones laying around.
The bulk of the collection is put away somewhere a little safer than the coffee table in my living room though

ChangeInHistory

Dropbox.

dsessom

I just sit at my kitchen table, where there is a huge picture window that lets lots of natural light into the house. I use a loupe or magnifier. I sometimes attempt to photograph my coins, but without a copy stand, they usually come out a little blurry. I do have a tripod, so I may try using that. But anyway - on the subject of storage, I got creative and put a water proof, fire proof safe into the crawlspace of my house, that is only accessible through a closet "trap door". If my house burns to the ground, or is levelled by a tornado, the coins will survive.

The_Dinosaur_Man

I have my books and albums

Jzyskowski1

Kinda like this?
I know where most everything is and this is why I live way up in the mountains. We have very little burglary or robbery up here. Folks in a small town are very good at keeping the peace and looking out for their neighbors 😈

GaCoinGuy

ctf_error_coins

@Eric_Babula said:
This thread is making me kinda sad. What has come of this world where we can't keep our coins at home and look at them in hand anytime we want? Look at them in the bank or on a computer screen? Is that what coin collecting has come to?

Viewing coins on a computer screen shows soooo much more than viewing a coin in hand

seatedlib3991

My coins are in Eagle brand certified Coin albums next to my bed. I keep a 100 watt incandescent bulb in my bedside light. I love that I can admire my coins in their best light and use my bed as a table. Ticks my wife , my cat and my dog off but that's their problem.

lilolme

@ctf_error_coins said:

@Eric_Babula said:
This thread is making me kinda sad. What has come of this world where we can't keep our coins at home and look at them in hand anytime we want? Look at them in the bank or on a computer screen? Is that what coin collecting has come to?

Viewing coins on a computer screen shows soooo much more than viewing a coin in hand

While this can be true and more so for good or better photos, it is also true that photos can hide features (discrepancies, characteristics, or similar) of coins or sometimes over emphasize them. This has been demonstrated numerous times and even with good or better photos. Changing the photo can revel these features but having a coin in hand and tilting it under a light or changing the lighting can bring out so much more in the features and even the coloring if applicable. Seeing how the coin changes is also beneficial. Add in any preferred magnification and then there is more. Viewing coins in hand has been a benefit to me when assembling a past collection.

TxCollector

@Eric_Babula said:
This thread is making me kinda sad. What has come of this world where we can't keep our coins at home and look at them in hand anytime we want? Look at them in the bank or on a computer screen? Is that what coin collecting has come to?

I would rather not utilize a SDB. Seeing as how we were broken into at our old house and the safe was pulled halfway out before we luckily got back home from vacation and scared off the thieves it has pushed me into a SDB rental. I feel like a divorced parent that has to schedule visits to see my “kids” every time I want to look at my coins/currency.

Tramp

@ctf_error_coins said:
Viewing coins on a computer screen shows soooo much more than viewing a coin in hand

I'm not being critical but if that's the case why not just admire the pics at HA, PCGS, GC, etc. rather than buying and owning the actual coins? Just curious.

DisneyFan

@Tramp said:

I'm not being critical but if that's the case why not just admire the pics at HA, PCGS, GC, etc. rather than buying and owning the actual coins? Just curious

Pride of ownership

ctf_error_coins

@Tramp said:

@ctf_error_coins said:
Viewing coins on a computer screen shows soooo much more than viewing a coin in hand

I'm not being critical but if that's the case why not just admire the pics at HA, PCGS, GC, etc. rather than buying and owning the actual coins? Just curious.

I love owning the coins. I have never collected via photographs only. I actually delete the photos of my coins that have sold. Zions probably wants me to keep those photos.

Let me restate, I way prefer and see soo much more from professionally photographed coins then coins in hand with a loupe.

I have 800 slabbed coins. I can find 4 professional photos of each coin in just a few seconds.

Viewing on a computer ...way way better.

Tramp

@jeffas1974 said:

@Eric_Babula said:
This thread is making me kinda sad. What has come of this world where we can't keep our coins at home and look at them in hand anytime we want? Look at them in the bank or on a computer screen? Is that what coin collecting has come to?

I would rather not utilize a SDB. Seeing as how we were broken into at our old house and the safe was pulled halfway out before we luckily got back home from vacation and scared off the thieves it has pushed me into a SDB rental. I feel like a divorced parent that has to schedule visits to see my “kids” every time I want to look at my coins/currency.

Sorry to hear that. I really like my National Safe from Liberty Safe. At 1600 lbs no one is moving it.

https://www.gunsafes.com/Liberty-NS50-National-Security-39-Gun-Safe.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwlPWgBhDHARIsAH2xdNf0Ix8a4uMOujdWGgY0l8AnNljtLMVPYp7d0kOLRp2xbVSSRdfI6AYaAgj0EALw_wcB

divecchia

I am fortunate enough to have my coins at home for viewing anytime. I usually look at them at my desk with a lamp. Sometimes I will use a loop, but most of the time I do not.

Donato

Shane6596

Im seeing the bigger picture here.

SDB for better security than home safe, makes sense. From what ive seen some of you guys have some very valuable coins.

800 coins, viewing on computer, makes sense. Trying to physically dig through that amount to look at would be a task.

Every situation is going to be unique. I use a home safe currently, have around 100 coins. Maybe my setup will change as my collection expands size and money wise.

silverpop

i tend to view my coins in sunlight, LED's or outside

and i have no safe, SDB or anything like that

ricko

I keep some coins around my desk/computer. Some in coin cabinets. Some in the safe. Some packed away in boxes. I can look at my coins whenever I so choose, and that suits me very well.
I keep a Sirchie magnifier handy and an extra lamp if needed. Cheers, RickO

JWP

I just open the door and walk in

humanssuck

@Shane6596 said:
Im seeing the bigger picture here.

SDB for better security than home safe, makes sense. From what ive seen some of you guys have some very valuable coins.

800 coins, viewing on computer, makes sense. Trying to physically dig through that amount to look at would be a task.

Every situation is going to be unique. I use a home safe currently, have around 100 coins. Maybe my setup will change as my collection expands size and money wise.

Another important part is to have good insurance. Safes and security systems are necessary, but in the end there are things like fires or other natural disasters that you cant prevent.

dsessom

@humanssuck said:

Another important part is to have good insurance. Safes and security systems are necessary, but in the end there are things like fires or other natural disasters that you cant prevent.

I totally agree on the insurance! Fire and natural disaster is exactly why I devised my "crawl space vault". I got it from Dean safes. They are specifically designed to go in the ground. I mounted it directly under a "trap door" that lead to the crawl space under the house, and the trap door is in a closet, with a piece of carpet covering it.

Anyway, for anyone interested in this type solution, I highly recommend Dean safes.

https://www.deansafe.com/collections/floor-safes

Mine looks like this (B-5000 model sells for around $1000)

johnny9434

Both at home and the sdb

SanctionII

Late at night under a clear sky filled with stars and at least a quarter moon.

My coin viewing takes place after the other members of the house are sleeping, while soaking in the back yard hot tub (with a favorite beverage and charcutery board of food on a tray attached to the frame of the hot tub), under appropriate lighting, with a loupe encased in silver, and a cutting edge technology "coin droid" (that retrieves from the coin vault and brings to me the coin(s) I desire to hold and look at) all while the outdoor sound system plays on the speakers built into the hot tub frame a pleasing mixture of gregorian chants, classical music, big band music, jazz, R&B, funk, soul, classic rock, head banging rock music, doo wop, and on occasion even Rap.

Adjacent to the hot tub is a station where there are located my slippers, towel, robe, silk pajamas, smoking jacket, cuban cigar, crystal decanter of the finest whiskey, shot glass and display monitor showing Coin Facts True View Photos of the "coin de jure" I am interested in.

One my goals in life is to become a "Coin Connie Sewer".

Shane6596

That's funny.

Might be true tho?

lilolme

@SanctionII
Ah yes, part of that what I have said many times. First turned on the speakers....
Okay I won't bore you with another picture post of the speaker.

cladking

I have several collections of clad quarters and dimes I've built from circulation. These provide quite a bit of pretty cheap entertainment.

I shouldda started cent and nickel collections back in 1996 as well. I didn't do cents because the coins in circulation are so grubby and the nickels because in those days they weren't very interesting except for varieties. It would sure be nice to have them but now the zincolns are mostly unobtainable without corrosion and spots and most of the '65 to '90 nickels are really hard to find especially in decent shape.

cladking

@SanctionII said:

...pleasing mixture of gregorian chants, classical music, big band music, jazz, R&B, funk, soul, classic rock, head banging rock music, doo wop, and on occasion even Rap.

I always start with "King Henry" as the first selection.

It goes with anything high tech or industrial.

Let never a man a wooing wend
That lacketh thinges three
A store of gold, an oaken heart,
And full of charity

And this was seen of King Henry
And he likewise alone
For he's taken him to a haunted hall
Seven miles from the town

He's chased the deer, now him before
And the doe down by the den
Till the fattest buck in the all the flock
King Henry he has slain...

Turn it up high.

skier07

@TomB said:
All in the SDB so I either look at them at the bank or look at them on a computer screen.

+1

Barberian

..> @Tramp said:

@jeffas1974 said:

@Eric_Babula said:
This thread is making me kinda sad. What has come of this world where we can't keep our coins at home and look at them in hand anytime we want? Look at them in the bank or on a computer screen? Is that what coin collecting has come to?

I would rather not utilize a SDB. Seeing as how we were broken into at our old house and the safe was pulled halfway out before we luckily got back home from vacation and scared off the thieves it has pushed me into a SDB rental. I feel like a divorced parent that has to schedule visits to see my “kids” every time I want to look at my coins/currency.

Sorry to hear that. I really like my National Safe from Liberty Safe. At 1600 lbs no one is moving it.

https://www.gunsafes.com/Liberty-NS50-National-Security-39-Gun-Safe.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwlPWgBhDHARIsAH2xdNf0Ix8a4uMOujdWGgY0l8AnNljtLMVPYp7d0kOLRp2xbVSSRdfI6AYaAgj0EALw_wcB

Go on a long vacation and the thieves will figure out a way.

golden

On the computer screen.

Eric_Babula

@Tramp said:

Sorry to hear that. I really like my National Safe from Liberty Safe. At 1600 lbs no one is moving it.

https://www.gunsafes.com/Liberty-NS50-National-Security-39-Gun-Safe.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwlPWgBhDHARIsAH2xdNf0Ix8a4uMOujdWGgY0l8AnNljtLMVPYp7d0kOLRp2xbVSSRdfI6AYaAgj0EALw_wcB

Wow! If someone would be willing to donate $11,000 to me, I might be able to afford that safe!

Jzyskowski1

Yah it’s a beauty but but I don’t think my whole collection is worth $11,000😂😂😂

Eric_Babula

@Jzyskowski1 said:
Yah it’s a beauty but but I don’t think my whole collection is worth $11,000😂😂😂

My entire collection is nowhere near that! LOL! And, some here have a single coin worth that or more! Nope, not me. Maybe if I win the Powerball Jackpot.....maybe.

Tom147

Liberty gun safe. 32" W X 20" D X 54" H. 630# empty. Gotta be close to 1200# now. Good Luck moving that one. That plus a nosy neighbor. I'm secure. As for viewing, my computer desk is in the same room.