Long Term Coin Storage

OAKSTAR

So hypothetically, say you were leaving the country for 10 to 15 years or going to prison. Stepping away from coins. And say you were going to leave your collection with a "trusted" family member, maybe a big safety deposit box, storage facility or bury it in your backyard. 😂 Use your imagination within reason.

Knowing you will not have total control of the environment (Nothing extreme, just normal humidity, heat, cold, fluctuations etc..) would you consider packing/wrapping your collection, slabs, albums, etc.. in something like this vacuum sealer? (minus the steak)

Have you ever stored coins for a long period of time? If so, how did you do it and what was the outcome? All opinions or suggestions welcome.

humanssuck

Intercept Shield double protection boxes

Mr_Spud

After about 10 years, air got inside when I tried that with the sealable plastic bags. I’d do the mason jar/desiccant thing and maybe try one of these mason jar vacuum things. I purchased one just the other day that I’m going to try out.

winesteven

Intercept Shield boxes, although I believe the manufacturer says they should be replaced after 10 years.

I buy mine from Brookly Gallery. The one I show below says 50 slabs, but it actually holds around 60. Brooklyn Gallery sells this for $19.46 each, but if you buy eight or more, then they’re only $16.97 each. Reasonable shipping is additional.

I learned something interesting just the other day. We all know John Albanese as the creator of CAC (and CACG). Most of us also know that John was one of the founders of PCGS in 1986, and then NGC a year later in 1987. But I only recently learned that in 2001 John created Intercept Shield, to help protect coins from environmental gases in the air!

Steve

Kurisu

I like to store them packed tight in a ziplock of powdered egg shells.

Mr_Spud

I had to replace my intercept shield boxes that were in the safety deposit box. After about 13 years they turned black inside even though I had desiccant packs in the safety deposit boxes. I replaced them and have put the new intercept boxes inside large ziplock bags with desiccant before putting them back in the safety deposit boxes. Also, Mrs_Spud’s high grade Roosevelt set in an Intercept Shield album with protective slipcover started to tone up after about the same number of years.

Copperindian

Bank SD box. None of the vault walls are “outside” borders. Coins in individual intercept shield boxes or PCGS storage boxes. No issues after many years; should mention I live in mild climate Northern California.

ColoradoCoinGuy

Intercept Shield double protection boxes are good. But basically try to keep them in a constant Goldilocks temperature zone, not to hot, not to cold, low humidity environment with no exposure to any nasty chemicals. Putting them in any nearly airtite container that allows very little air exchange around the coins should work.

coinbuf

IS boxes are your best defense, I've been storing my copper coins in them for decades. Everything of value is in a SBD with many desiccant packs in each bank box. I changed out all my IS boxes at 15 years, and will need to again soon, living in a desert with very low humidity is a big plus for coin storage too. For silver, nickel, and gold I just use the NGC or PCGS boxes with desiccant packs that I change about every 5 years, no issues with any of those either.

winesteven

@Mr_Spud said:
I had to replace my intercept shield boxes that were in the safety deposit box. After about 13 years they turned black inside even though I had desiccant packs in the safety deposit boxes. I replaced them and have put the new intercept boxes inside large ziplock bags with desiccant before putting them back in the safety deposit boxes. Also, Mrs_Spud’s high grade Roosevelt set in an Intercept Shield album with protective slipcover started to tone up after about the same number of years.

As I noted in my comment higher up, they recommend replacing Intercept Shield products after 10 years. Your real life experience seems to bear that out!

Steve

ColoradoCoinGuy

Note that the environment of a SDB can vary greatly depending on how the Bank maintains the vault area and where the vault is located in relationship to the outside walls of the building. SDB vaults with a wall that is also an exterior wall can see large tempature swings in the actual SDB due to heat transfer through the walls. Also I have heard stories of vaults being cleaned and having the exterior of the SDB's whipped with cleaning agents like ammonia. Those gases can be pulled inside the SDB.

Clackamas1

A vacuum sealer works great for buried objects. I tried it as a kid when I went away to college and did not trust my brother. 5 years it was buried.

horseyride

Since vacuum sealer have negative air pressure for a while, if they start to leak they immediately pull in lots of outside air, as opposed to a sealer jar or other that was just ambient air pressure. In other words, recommend anything but vacuum sealer, even if just plain polypro bags

WCC

@humanssuck said:
Intercept Shield double protection boxes

I have 30 of my best coins or those which I consider requiring better protection in the holders (but not boxes) for about 20 years. Same holders, even though I understand it should be replaced after 10. Most of my collection has also been stored in a SDB for the same duration.

I haven't noticed any of the coins change.

lermish

@rnkmyer1 said:
Bank SD box. None of the vault walls are “outside” borders. Coins in individual intercept shield boxes or PCGS storage boxes. No issues after many years; should mention I live in mild climate Northern California.

+1

TheGoonies1985

All my coins that are raw have been in a acetone bath then in 2 by 2 Mylar's the graded coins are in my bank vault same as any raw coins that I consider that should be there as well. Never had any issues.

If any of the coins I own raw had PVC it is now gone with the acetone. And in cardboard Mylar's I can't see what could affect them to be honest. 95% + of my collection is raw so I own very few slabs and break my coins out if I do it is the coins that do not grade at least AU or higher or very rare/expensive then I leave them graded. I check the ones I own very closely with a jeweller magnifying glass and make sure there is no issues and would never buy a coin that has PVC that I know I will keep in a holder.

PerryHall

A raw coin stored in a Saflip Mylar flip can be sealed using a regular heat sealer. This could give you an extra layer of protection.

TheGoonies1985

@PerryHall said:
A raw coin stored in a Saflip Mylar flip can be sealed using a regular heat sealer. This could give you an extra layer of protection.

I meant cardboard Mylar's in my case. I use staples.

mark_dak

@winesteven said:
Intercept Shield boxes, although I believe the manufacturer says they should be replaced after 10 years.

OK, with good behavior(No guarantees) I should be out in time to replace mine!

Mark

Tom147

Intercept Shield boxes, inside a large safe with a battery operated dehumidifier as well as 3 dessicant holders. Humidity at 41 % + or - 3%.

JBK

@OAKSTAR said:
So hypothetically, say you were leaving the country for 10 to 15 years or going to prison. Stepping away from coins.

So if I understand you correctly, you've been given a long prison sentence in a Turkish prison.

In any case, there are two potential enemies for your stored coins - humidity, and gasses.

The solutions for each threat might be different.

If you are going to vacuum seal anything, just make sure you don't seal in gasses (or the materials they eminate from) or humidity.

OAKSTAR

@JBK said:

@OAKSTAR said:
So hypothetically, say you were leaving the country for 10 to 15 years or going to prison. Stepping away from coins.

So if I understand you correctly, you've been given a long prison sentence in a Turkish prison.

In any case, there are two potential enemies for your stored coins - humidity, and gasses.

The solutions for each threat might be different.

If you are going to vacuum seal anything, just make sure you don't seal in gasses (or the materials they eminate from) or humidity.

I'm always concerned about gasses emitted from plastic or cardboard albums.

OAKSTAR

Here's a shorter term storage I use. I use these dry packs inside a ziploc bag. I close the ziploc with a straw inside as tight as I can. Then I suck as much of the air out as I can, pull the straw out and zip it shut as fast as I can. I seems to work.

I know, it sounds and looks crazy! 🤪 🤣

Who know if it works as intended. Time will tell.

tommy44

I've had some 90% dimes through dollars stored in cardboard/mylar 2X2s since the early 1970s that look as good as the day I put them away. Also have rolls that I wrapped in aluminum foil and then craft wrapping paper and they are pristine also. Always in either a SDB or climate controlled home.

pruebas

@OAKSTAR said:

I know, it sounds and looks crazy! 🤪 🤣

It is crazy!

Collectors in the “old days” kept their coins on wooden trays, often exposed to polluted indoor air (think oil or gas lamps, coal heating, wood-burning fireplaces, lots of tobacco smokers). We now value the toning those coins have acquired.

As long as your coins don’t have any bad surface contaminants, simply putting them in a Mylar flip in a coin box should be fine for extended storage.

OAKSTAR

@pruebas said:

@OAKSTAR said:

I know, it sounds and looks crazy! 🤪 🤣

It is crazy!

Collectors in the “old days” kept their coins on wooden trays, often exposed to polluted indoor air (think oil or gas lamps, coal heating, wood-burning fireplaces, lots of tobacco smokers). We now value the toning those coins have acquired.

As long as your coins don’t have any bad surface contaminants, simply putting them in a Mylar flip in a coin box should be fine for extended storage.

Yes, a lot more contaminants in the air years ago. I'm not using Mylar flips, they're in albums.

TrickleCharge

Seal them in carbonite and hang on wall to display.

pruebas

@TrickleCharge said:
Seal them in carbonite and hang on wall to display.

Or, as my dad used to joke, dip them in Cosmoline.

TheGoonies1985

@pruebas said:

@OAKSTAR said:

I know, it sounds and looks crazy! 🤪 🤣

It is crazy!

Collectors in the “old days” kept their coins on wooden trays, often exposed to polluted indoor air (think oil or gas lamps, coal heating, wood-burning fireplaces, lots of tobacco smokers). We now value the toning those coins have acquired.

As long as your coins don’t have any bad surface contaminants, simply putting them in a Mylar flip in a coin box should be fine for extended storage.

Ain't that the truth!!!